Tips for Oral
Reading of Poetry
- Practice. When you
practice, take everything into account: meaning of the poem, emotion
behind the words, and fluency. The more practice you have in reading the
poem aloud, the less nervous you will be.
- Look up words
you do not know or understand before you begin practicing. You need to know
how the words are pronounced as well as their meaning.
- Pay attention to
the author’s use of punctuation.
Even though poems are divided up into lines, you should not pause at the end
of every line. Poets use punctuation, font, and capitalization to provide
you with hints as to how the poem should be read.
- Experiment with
emphasizing different words. By accenting certain words, you change the
meaning of the poem. Be sure to emphasize the correct words to help the
reader understand the emotion behind of the poem.
- The pacing of the poem
can change the meaning of it. Rates and pauses provide the rhythm of the
poem. Try different rates in reading the poem aloud. Find the
appropriate places to pause-not just where the poet has inserted
punctuation, nor end lines.