Creative Writing 5 – Poetry Presentation/Performance Poetry

Another aspect of poetry

So today, we are going to explore ways to better present our poetry to others. Poetry in a book is heard by the listener in the way they read it. That reader may simply read word after word, after word in a monotone boring way. They may put lots of emotion into the words they read and hear inside their head and find the words exciting because of the effort they put into it.

What we are going to do is to present our poems in ways that will excite the audience, and I hope excite ourselves too. I’m sure you’ve all done some work in presenting things to an audience, but if you haven’t here are some ideas and clues on how to help make it an exciting event for the audience who is listening to you read your poem.

 

Poetry Out Loud!

We are going to firstly wake up ourselves and our voices. Stand up, make a little room for yourself. Spread your arms out to the left and right, slowly twist your body around, one way then the other repeat, repeat. Next, make fists, then spread your fingers out wide, repeat twice, slowly. Then shake your arms around while marching on the spot. OK, enough hard work, we’re ready to move onto the actual voice work.

In a clear and firm voice, say this:

La la la la la la la la la la Woohoo! Woohoo? Woohoo! Woohoo? Woohoo! La la la la la la

 

Give Your Poem All You Can!

A poem needs time to go from one person on to the next person, from you to your audience. Reading your poem slowly, and 2/3 speed or sometimes even slower, gives the listener time to properly take in your words, to think on the thoughts being presented.

You are now ready to read your own poem! Find an area in the room, imagine your audience and prepare to read your poem to your imaginary audience, putting into your reading all of the emotion your words call for.

Use your body too, hands, arms, whatever the poem calls for, gestures and so on as appropriate for your poem. In that same clear and firm voice, read your poem – clear – firm – slow – Don’t be afraid to really put on a performance, that is what we are doing here, performance poetry, and that’s what the audience is here for!

I want you to use your voice to wrap up your new poem, in love, with emotion and meaning, so any audience who listens to you read your poem, truly understands the great worth of your fine words!

I will present the poem I wrote earlier this week, that I brought along yesterday with the notes for that session. I did a little editing after I did a practise reading earlier today, and I hope I made it better. Reading your work out loud is always a valuable method for finding the places where your poem doesn’t quite flow the way you and the audience want it to.

 

Imagine me performing this poem, with actions and with emotion, giving my all, so you will feel my words in your head and in your heart.

 

What is Freedom?

If the question blazes down on me like the sun,

blinding bright so I can barely see a thing

I do not know what Freedom is …

 

If the question sticks in my throat, making me cough,

unable to say a single word at all

I do not know what Freedom is …

 

If the question is like a flood of people

drowning me with their constant demands

I do not know what Freedom is …

 

If the question is a weight on my shoulders

burdening me so I cannot dance and play

I do not know what Freedom is …

 

But if my life is full of love, joy and wonderful things

I am able and allowed to do, I no longer need to ask –

then and only then, do I truly know what Freedom is!

 

© Carolyn Cordon 2016

 

 

 

OK, know it’s your turn, slow & steady with emotion and meaning!

 

Thank you everyone, I hope you’ve found this useful.

 

Carolyn Cordon offers sincere thanks to Martin Christmas, Poet, Performer, and fine friend. He is the person who showed me how to perform my own work with emotion, and with heart, and he will be forever be in my heart too.