Today’s poem is Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley. This week’s episodes are for, and feature, young poets.

Ever since taking on the role as host of The Slowdown, I’ve been thinking a lot more about the importance of performance in poetry. An organization that teaches this art to young people is Poetry Out Loud, for which I’ve served as a national judge; today’s co-host, Cat, participated as a performer, winning her region in New York. Her reading of Ozymandias reminded me of something so important: by taking on characters from classic works, we can find new power in being ourselves.

We would love to hear your thoughts on these special episodes for young people. Please go to slowdownshow.org/survey to tell us what you think!