March means the March Madness tournament for college basketball. But with a little twist, it also meant a poetry competition from Ms. Taylor’s English classes based on poems by famous celebrities and poets. 

This contest was done by having multiple poems face each other in rounds, with students scanning a QR code to vote. Whichever poem had the most votes moved up the bracket. The two poems that reached the final were Tupac, with “The Rose that Grew From Concrete,” and Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18. Who won? Read on, below.

The Boulevard Online: Why did you choose to do poetry for March Madness? 

Ms. Taylor: Teaching the subject of English made me want to bring more students to have exposure to poetry.

TBO: What inspired you to do March Madness?

Ms. Taylor: I saw it being done by a teacher on Instagram and was thinking it was a good idea for March Madness.

TBO: Would you consider students writing the poems for next year’s March Madness?

Ms. Taylor: If there are many people that would like to write their own poems and vote, then yes, students would be able to write their own poems next year.

TBO: Tupac was the winner in this faceoff with Shakespeare in the final. Why do you think that is? 

Ms. Taylor: Lots of people like rap music in our school, I feel like it comes from that.

TBO: Yes, I think the more modern feel of poetry also came with Tupac as the rising winner.

Ms. Taylor: Yes!