I try to go to as many poetry readings as I can, both to hear others as well as to have my three minutes on the open mike. Recently, I’ve become very interested in presenting my poem, speaking the poem as well as I can. Why? you might ask—shouldn’t the importance of a poem be on crafting the poem? Yes, sure, absolutely; however, unless you only plan to publish your work and let subsequent readers have the pleasure of mouthing your words in their head, then you need to be able to present your poem vocally to the best of you and your poem’s ability. This is what I have learned so far:
Like an actor her monologue…
Every poem has a voice; it has a mood, a tempo, a sound.Sometimes, like people, the moods change
depending on the day, the situation, the audience. What might have sounded soft and delicate during one reading can surprise you by becoming bolder and knowing during another.
Recite the poem; recite it over and over in the privacy of your room. Pay attention to your line breaks, but feel free to break in different places during your speech. Who the poem is can be best
figured out by really understanding what the poem is about. You may find that there were many things in your poem you were unaware of—ironies, truths—this happens when you write in a fast, channeling ‘white heat.’ What happens to your voice as you read the poem; does it grow smoky and sensual, hard and aware, sharp and swift? Are there parts that are meant to be sung? Dramatic pauses to be injected?Give the poem the freedom to be what it desires—you are, after all only its creator. Like children our poems have no problem saying to us, thanks for the birth now let me do my own thing.
Practice reading everyday, ten minutes or more. Do
it over and over. If you suffer from stage fright, and open mikes make your bowels soft as the hair on a baby’s head then this is advice directly aimed at you.Did you catch the Olympics this year? What makes athletes great? Practice, practice practice!The result is your confidence is born almost as rapidly as your poem’s voice.
Is this really necessary? No, you are welcome to mumble through your poems and hope the audience hears what you are saying, but for your sake as much as for your lovely poetic creation—know how to speak your poem. Practice, practice, practice… Who knows, the poem may give birth to a new confident you!
Fieldtrip:If you don’t already, attend a slam or two.Slam poets are judged on their delivery of a poem as well as the content. They memorize the piece and do it dramatically. No need to memorize if you don’t want to, though that would be an added level. Simply see how others who are very aware and concerned over the presentation of their work do it.
Every poem has a voice; it has a mood, a tempo, a sound.Sometimes, like people, the moods change
depending on the day, the situation, the audience. What might have sounded soft and delicate during one reading can surprise you by becoming bolder and knowing during another.
Recite the poem; recite it over and over in the privacy of your room. Pay attention to your line breaks, but feel free to break in different places during your speech. Who the poem is can be best
figured out by really understanding what the poem is about. You may find that there were many things in your poem you were unaware of—ironies, truths—this happens when you write in a fast, channeling ‘white heat.’ What happens to your voice as you read the poem; does it grow smoky and sensual, hard and aware, sharp and swift? Are there parts that are meant to be sung? Dramatic pauses to be injected?Give the poem the freedom to be what it desires—you are, after all only its creator. Like children our poems have no problem saying to us, thanks for the birth now let me do my own thing.
Practice reading everyday, ten minutes or more. Do
it over and over. If you suffer from stage fright, and open mikes make your bowels soft as the hair on a baby’s head then this is advice directly aimed at you.Did you catch the Olympics this year? What makes athletes great? Practice, practice practice!The result is your confidence is born almost as rapidly as your poem’s voice.
Is this really necessary? No, you are welcome to mumble through your poems and hope the audience hears what you are saying, but for your sake as much as for your lovely poetic creation—know how to speak your poem. Practice, practice, practice… Who knows, the poem may give birth to a new confident you!
Fieldtrip:If you don’t already, attend a slam or two.Slam poets are judged on their delivery of a poem as well as the content. They memorize the piece and do it dramatically. No need to memorize if you don’t want to, though that would be an added level. Simply see how others who are very aware and concerned over the presentation of their work do it.