BY JEREMY SLAYTON Times-Dispatch Staff Writer

Words from some of the greatest poets came to life today at the Library of Virginia.

Thirty-one high school students competed for the right to represent Virginia at next month's Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest in Washington, performing poetry from the likes of Nikki Giovanni, Emily Dickinson and W.E.B. Dubois.

On the strength of a stirring rendition of Maya Angelou's "Still I Rise" in the finals, Rappahannock County High School's Tia Robinson was chosen the Virginia state champion and will compete on the national level on April 28-29.

"They steeped themselves in the world of poetry," Poetry Out Loud Administrator Laine Satterfield said of the students' dramatic recitations.

For some, getting in front of a crowd to perform was old hat. Salem Christian School's Olivia Grace Rowe said she's been singing for audiences since she was three.

Others, like Christopher Richardson of St. Christopher's School heeded the advice of a teacher to handle cases of nerves.

"When you feel butterflies, imagine the wings are coated in sugar . . . and energize you in what you are about to do," he said.

Runner-up was Dashell Laryea of the Flint Hill School in Oakton. He stormed into the finals with his emotionally-charged performance of W.E.B. Dubois' poem "The Song of Smoke."

In all, more than 7,500 high school students in Virginia participated in the state Poetry Out Loud Program. Contact Jeremy Slayton at jslayton@timesdispatch.com.