{"id":136088729,"date":"2023-08-15T22:25:29","date_gmt":"2023-08-15T22:25:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jahangiri.us\/2020\/reading-poetry-aloud\/"},"modified":"2025-10-26T13:15:55","modified_gmt":"2025-10-26T18:15:55","slug":"reading-poetry-aloud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jahangiri.us\/2020\/reading-poetry-aloud\/","title":{"rendered":"Reading Poetry Aloud"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bring the words to life and make them dance!<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n

\u201cThe words on the page are asleep or dead until a human voice breathes life into them. Even the poems that I didn\u2019t understand, or care for - as a pupil at school - sounded better read out loud. Their rhythms, rhymes, the sound of the words is often hypnotic and mesmerising - and that\u2019s how it should be. Poetry is the magic of everyday words.\u201d - Paul Cookson<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Not all of us enjoy \u201cperforming\u201d poetry. Or speaking in public. Whether we are competent - or even quite good at it - it\u2019s just not our \u201cthing.\u201d If you enjoy performing at open mics and poetry slams, this newsletter may not be useful to you, but I hope you\u2019ll add your tips and techniques to the comments, as I\u2019m bound to miss a few. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if it\u2019s not a joy, most of us can muster the wherewithal to read, recite, or perform our poems. And most of us can get better at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I asked poets, \u201cWhat are some of your pet peeves when listening to poetry spoken aloud?\u201d The first answer I got made me laugh out loud:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cPeople who suddenly acquire a mid-Atlantic accent<\/a> when they read their poem aloud.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019s heard me read and swears he didn\u2019t notice me doing this, but I tend to acquire an awkwardly British accent, which gets weirder as I self-consciously attempt to stop talking that way. Another poet suggested that perhaps that\u2019s because poets were more likely than the average viewer to watch BBC dramas. That\u2019s a kind<\/em> theory, anyway. I have noticed others affecting accents and speech patterns that are not their normal way of speaking, and I wonder if they\u2019re even aware that they\u2019re doing it? Here\u2019s a fun bit of trivia that came out of this discussion - did you know that there has emerged an Antarctic accent<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My <\/em>pet peeves? I have two:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cRambling preambles and self-conscious disclaimers.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Avoid making excuses, disclaimers, or apologies. When reading your own poems, don\u2019t say, \u201cI wrote this in 15 minutes last night but kept getting interrupted by my colicky baby,\u201d or \u201cThis isn\u2019t very good, but, well, you\u2019ll see\u2026\u201d If an introductory note is needed for context, prepare one as if for someone else to read<\/em>. Keep it short and sweet - let the poem stand on its own legs. Prefacing a poem with an apology for how good it\u2019s not<\/em> is like arguing with a compliment even before you get one. Don\u2019t do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cStumbling over unfamiliar words.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes we read others\u2019 poems and stumble over unfamiliar words; sometimes, we write poetry containing familiar words we\u2019ve only read in books - they\u2019re not unfamiliar, but we\u2019ve never heard them spoken aloud and don\u2019t know how to pronounce them. Sometimes, we know how to pronounce them, but our tongues trip over them, anyway. That may be an indicator that we ought to rewrite the poem, if it\u2019s one of our own. I once wrote a speech for Toastmasters that contained the word, \u201cencephalography.\u201d I know the word and its pronunciation, but my mouth just won\u2019t cooperate. Before giving the speech at a contest, I changed it to \u201cbrain scan.\u201d The technical term was not the point of the speech, and there was no point in drawing so much attention to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another mentioned:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cSpeaking too quietly.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Yes! This is not the time for \u201cinside voices.\u201d Imagine that you are speaking to a person at the back of the room. Stand up tall to make room for your lungs. Use your diaphragm when you breath, speak, or sing - see Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises & Benefits (clevelandclinic.org)<\/a> to support your voice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many listeners, their pet peeve is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cSpeaking too fast.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Ugh<\/em>. I\u2019m often accused of speaking too fast! And it\u2019s hard to slow down, because I feel like I\u2019m exaggerating every word and syllable, and it feels to me like I\u2019m being condescending. It feels unnatural<\/em>. Speaking slowly takes practice, but it is important if you want listeners to understand what you\u2019re saying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And finally:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cSpeaking in a monotone.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Speaking in a monotone robs the poem of its energy and loses the audience\u2019s interest quickly. Practice reading the poem silently, several times. Then practice reading it aloud. Try standing in front of a mirror, watching yourself as you read, or reading it to a friend across the room. Record yourself, then play back the audio or video to listen and watch for any rough spots. You might imagine that you are acting out the poem, or saying it as lines in a play. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In all cases, practice makes\u2026better<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips for Reading Poetry Aloud<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Suggested by Billy Collins: Read the title of the poem and the author\u2019s name. Read any introductory notes given by the poet (but see #2, below). Repeat the title. Read the poem, then repeat the title again.
    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Avoid affectations, such as taking on an accent you don\u2019t use in everyday speech.
    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Avoid \u201crambling preambles,\u201d excuses, disclaimers, or apologies. Let the poem stand on its own legs. Never argue with a compliment and certainly never argue with one before you get it.
    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Look up unfamiliar words and practice their proper pronunciation. Consider a rewrite if it\u2019s still causing your tongue to trip and poem is your own.
    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Speak with enough volume everyone in the room can hear you clearly. You don\u2019t have to shout, but make sure people at the back of the room understand every word. Practice diaphragmatic breathing and \u201cproject\u201d your voice.
    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Speak s-l-o-w-l-y and clearly. Talking too fast is a sign of nervousness. Never let \u2019em see you sweat!
    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Use vocal variety and energy in reading the poem to hold the audience\u2019s interest and attention.
    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Memorize the poem if you can, so that you can make eye contact with your audience.
    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Practice and don\u2019t be afraid to ask for feedback on your delivery. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    Just for Fun: \u201cThe Exquisite Corpse\u201d Game<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Oh, that sounds ghoulish<\/em>, doesn\u2019t it? The name comes from one of the lines that resulted when a group of Surrealists played the game in Paris in the 1910s and 1920s: \"Le cadavre exquis boira le vin nouveau.<\/em>\" (\"The exquisite corpse shall drink the new wine.\")<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Exquisite corpse - Wikipedia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I tried this out with family, recently, and the only other person who had heard of the game was my 9 year old grandson, who had played it in Art class in 3rd Grade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We wrote a collaborative poem following the traditional adjective-noun-verb-adjective-noun<\/em> format on a theme of \u201cwater.\u201d No structure or theme is required, but I thought it might lead to a somewhat more coherent result that a group of mixed ages (9 to 60) and interests would enjoy. And here it is: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    Translucent waves flow over coral.
    Majestic cascade plummeting, breathtaking feature -
    Wet seahorses dream about dry meadows -
    Liquid cloud snows ice cream.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    We also created two drawings: an alien creature and a train. Interestingly, the first person\u2019s alien head had no eyes, nose, or mouth, but the second person (without peeking at the first section!) gave the alien eye-stalks in the armpit beneath a tentacled arm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Give it a try!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"3<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    And please, if you have any pet peeves or suggestions for reading poetry aloud, let me know in the comments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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