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How to Handle Perform Poetry Step by Step
When perform poetry leaves you confused, worried, or unsure what it means, a clear step-by-step approach can help you sort the signal from the stress. This guide explains how to understand the situation, reflect on what matters, choose a practical next step, and know when to ask for trusted support.
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Part
1
Preparing in Advance
1
Select a poem you enjoy.
Performing a poem lets you show the audience how the poem affects your emotions and ideas. Try to find a poem that causes you to react in some way, and that you want to share with other people. Unless you're participating in a poetry performance with a specific theme, you can pick any type of poem: silly, dramatic, serious, or simple. Don't try to pick a famous or serious poem if you don't enjoy it; any type of poetry can be performed.
- Performing a poem lets you show the audience how the poem affects your emotions and ideas.
- Try to find a poem that causes you to react in some way, and that you want to share with other people.
- Unless you're participating in a poetry performance with a specific theme, you can pick any type of poem: silly, dramatic, serious, or simple.
- Don't try to pick a famous or serious poem if you don't enjoy it; any type of poetry can be performed.
- Performing a poem lets you show the audience how the poem affects your emotions and ideas.
2
Learn how to say and understand any difficult words.
If you're not sure how to pronounce all the words in the poem, find a video of the poem being performed and listen carefully. You can also search for "how is ___ pronounced" and usually find a written or video explanation. Look up the definition of words you're not 100% certain about. Poets often refer to two meanings of the same word, so learning a new definition might teach you a whole new interpretation of a line.
- If you're not sure how to pronounce all the words in the poem, find a video of the poem being performed and listen carefully.
- You can also search for "how is ___ pronounced" and usually find a written or video explanation.
- Look up the definition of words you're not 100% certain about.
- Poets often refer to two meanings of the same word, so learning a new definition might teach you a whole new interpretation of a line.
- If you're not sure how to pronounce all the words in the poem, find a video of the poem being performed and listen carefully.
3
Listen to videos or audio recordings of people performing poetry (optional).
It doesn't matter if you look up famous actors reciting Shakespeare or ordinary people recording their own poem. It will help if the poem being performed is the one you picked, or has a similar style (loud and dramatic, a realistic description, etc.). You should be able to tell within a minute or two whether you like a performance. Keep looking until you find someone you like, and study the performances they have recorded. Think about why you enjoy it, and write down the answer so you can follow the good example.
- It doesn't matter if you look up famous actors reciting Shakespeare or ordinary people recording their own poem.
- It will help if the poem being performed is the one you picked, or has a similar style (loud and dramatic, a realistic description, etc.).
- You should be able to tell within a minute or two whether you like a performance.
- Keep looking until you find someone you like, and study the performances they have recorded.
- Think about why you enjoy it, and write down the answer so you can follow the good example.
4
Take notes directly on the poem to mark how you'll read it.
Print or write out at least one copy of your poem. Make notes directly onto it to tell yourself when to pause, slow down, gesture, or change your tone of voice. This is called scoring the poem, and you might have to experiment with several different styles before you find one you like. Guess at what might sound best, then read it aloud to see if you're right.
- Print or write out at least one copy of your poem.
- Make notes directly onto it to tell yourself when to pause, slow down, gesture, or change your tone of voice.
- This is called scoring the poem, and you might have to experiment with several different styles before you find one you like.
- Guess at what might sound best, then read it aloud to see if you're right.
- Print or write out at least one copy of your poem.
5
Practice reading the poem more slowly than you want to.
When you're in front of a crowd, it's easy for nerves and adrenaline to cause you to speed up. Even for a poem you want to read quickly, practice starting out quite slow, then speeding up as it gets more exciting or tense. (More rarely, a poem will start out excited and calm down, in which case you can practice slowing down instead.) Pause where it sounds natural so the performance sounds smoother.
- When you're in front of a crowd, it's easy for nerves and adrenaline to cause you to speed up.
- Even for a poem you want to read quickly, practice starting out quite slow, then speeding up as it gets more exciting or tense.
- (More rarely, a poem will start out excited and calm down, in which case you can practice slowing down instead.) Pause where it sounds natural so the performance sounds smoother.
- When you're in front of a crowd, it's easy for nerves and adrenaline to cause you to speed up.
- Even for a poem you want to read quickly, practice starting out quite slow, then speeding up as it gets more exciting or tense.
6
Focus on the words more than the acting.
Even a dramatic poem should be mostly about the poem itself, not the gestures and voices you're making. You can be more exaggerated than normal life if you think it suits the poem's style, but don't distract people from the actual meaning of the words.
- Even a dramatic poem should be mostly about the poem itself, not the gestures and voices you're making.
- You can be more exaggerated than normal life if you think it suits the poem's style, but don't distract people from the actual meaning of the words.
- Even a dramatic poem should be mostly about the poem itself, not the gestures and voices you're making.
- You can be more exaggerated than normal life if you think it suits the poem's style, but don't distract people from the actual meaning of the words.
- Even a dramatic poem should be mostly about the poem itself, not the gestures and voices you're making.
7
Practice, practice, practice.
Once you've decided when you want to pause and which gestures to make, you'll still need to practice many times if you want to give the performance your best shot. Try to memorize the poem even if you're not required to, since you'll sound more confident and look more natural if you aren't reading from a piece of paper.
- Once you've decided when you want to pause and which gestures to make, you'll still need to practice many times if you want to give the performance your best shot.
- Try to memorize the poem even if you're not required to, since you'll sound more confident and look more natural if you aren't reading from a piece of paper.
- Once you've decided when you want to pause and which gestures to make, you'll still need to practice many times if you want to give the performance your best shot.
- Try to memorize the poem even if you're not required to, since you'll sound more confident and look more natural if you aren't reading from a piece of paper.
- Once you've decided when you want to pause and which gestures to make, you'll still need to practice many times if you want to give the performance your best shot.
Part
2
Performing the Poem
1
Dress nicely but comfortably.
Wear clothes you enjoy wearing, but make an effort to keep them tidy and clean. You should also pay attention to personal hygiene. The goal is to stay comfortable and relaxed, but also present a confident, prepared look to the audience.
- Wear clothes you enjoy wearing, but make an effort to keep them tidy and clean.
- You should also pay attention to personal hygiene.
- The goal is to stay comfortable and relaxed, but also present a confident, prepared look to the audience.
- Wear clothes you enjoy wearing, but make an effort to keep them tidy and clean.
- You should also pay attention to personal hygiene.
2
Learn how to handle stage fright
. Most people get nervous before the actual performance, so have a plan for how to deal with it. Plenty of practice will make you more confident, but there are also plenty of ways you can calm down the day of the performance:
- Most people get nervous before the actual performance, so have a plan for how to deal with it.
- Plenty of practice will make you more confident, but there are also plenty of ways you can calm down the day of the performance:
- Most people get nervous before the actual performance, so have a plan for how to deal with it.
- Plenty of practice will make you more confident, but there are also plenty of ways you can calm down the day of the performance:
- Most people get nervous before the actual performance, so have a plan for how to deal with it.
Part
3
Recovering from Mistakes and Other Issues
1
If you make a bigger mistake, pause and repeat the last line or two.
The audience has either noticed or is getting confused, so don't try to fool them by rushing past. You don't need to overreact: just pause and go back to the beginning of the line, or wherever you think makes the most sense.
- The audience has either noticed or is getting confused, so don't try to fool them by rushing past.
- You don't need to overreact: just pause and go back to the beginning of the line, or wherever you think makes the most sense.
- The audience has either noticed or is getting confused, so don't try to fool them by rushing past.
- You don't need to overreact: just pause and go back to the beginning of the line, or wherever you think makes the most sense.
- The audience has either noticed or is getting confused, so don't try to fool them by rushing past.
2
Take a deep breath and start from the beginning if you completely forget the next line.
Sometimes, your own anxiety can get in the way of your memory. If you've backtracked a couple lines and still can't remember how the poem continues, go back to the beginning. The rhythm of reciting your memorized lines can often carry you through the part you thought you'd forgotten.
- Sometimes, your own anxiety can get in the way of your memory.
- If you've backtracked a couple lines and still can't remember how the poem continues, go back to the beginning.
- The rhythm of reciting your memorized lines can often carry you through the part you thought you'd forgotten.
- Sometimes, your own anxiety can get in the way of your memory.
- If you've backtracked a couple lines and still can't remember how the poem continues, go back to the beginning.
3
If someone tries to talk over you, stop until the interruption is dealt with.
The audience at a poetry performance is there to listen to one person perform, not an argument. Anyone who tries to interrupt you should be dealt with quickly by the audience or by the people in charge.
- The audience at a poetry performance is there to listen to one person perform, not an argument.
- Anyone who tries to interrupt you should be dealt with quickly by the audience or by the people in charge.
- The audience at a poetry performance is there to listen to one person perform, not an argument.
- Anyone who tries to interrupt you should be dealt with quickly by the audience or by the people in charge.
- The audience at a poetry performance is there to listen to one person perform, not an argument.
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