Sunday, August 6. 2006
Reading Poems Well
Ted Burke has an interesting rant on a subject dear to my heart: that far too many poems are read poorly. Yet he points out that phenomena like the “Def Poetry Jam” are not necessarily the antidote. I would go further: I feel that performance poetry and poetry slams often undermine the work of poets trying to write something that also stands up on the page.
The idea that poetry needs to be “jazzed up” (sometimes literally — with musical accompaniment) implies some fundamental deficiency with the words standing on their own merits. Yet at the same time, I think this phenomenon of so many good people reading good works badly is equally to blame: it reinforces, and spurs on, the hyperbolic performance of poetry, which distorts the art — making it more like song lyrics or a dramatic script than a publication-worthy piece.
Like my sister, I recently had the privilege of attending a voice workshop with Tom Boyer wherein I discovered many of the techniques of the Bel Canto school of Italian singing apply equally well to spoken voice. Applying this has had a great effect on my reading style: it allows me to tap in to my most interesting, authentic voice — the one I use when hanging out with my family on Christmas morning — even when I’m on stage. Through applying breathing and visualization exercises, I have learned to key in to that space, and bring more of myself to reading my work.
Apart from voice coaching lessons (contact me if you’d like to get in touch with Tom), there is another simple remedy for reading better: connect with the poem, with the words, with the meanings. Enjoy reading a poem — you don’t have to sing or flap your arms, but you do have to bring out your enjoyment and appreciation of the work. Savor it. Bring some justice to it — especially if it is your own work.
It can be hard to connect with the enjoyment of the poem and bring that across to an audience if you are not comfortable speaking in front of a group. Much of that seems to subside with practice — but it takes conscious practice, trying each time to get more in touch with the heart of the piece. Reading in a relaxed atmosphere among friends also helps. Ultimately, practicing the same things that don’t work over and over will not help, and may hinder — so, seek to consciously gauge and improve your own sense of connecting to the poem each time. For me, there has been a palpable difference through practicing this approach.
Like my sister, I recently had the privilege of attending a voice workshop with Tom Boyer wherein I discovered many of the techniques of the Bel Canto school of Italian singing apply equally well to spoken voice. Applying this has had a great effect on my reading style: it allows me to tap in to my most interesting, authentic voice — the one I use when hanging out with my family on Christmas morning — even when I’m on stage. Through applying breathing and visualization exercises, I have learned to key in to that space, and bring more of myself to reading my work.
Apart from voice coaching lessons (contact me if you’d like to get in touch with Tom), there is another simple remedy for reading better: connect with the poem, with the words, with the meanings. Enjoy reading a poem — you don’t have to sing or flap your arms, but you do have to bring out your enjoyment and appreciation of the work. Savor it. Bring some justice to it — especially if it is your own work.
It can be hard to connect with the enjoyment of the poem and bring that across to an audience if you are not comfortable speaking in front of a group. Much of that seems to subside with practice — but it takes conscious practice, trying each time to get more in touch with the heart of the piece. Reading in a relaxed atmosphere among friends also helps. Ultimately, practicing the same things that don’t work over and over will not help, and may hinder — so, seek to consciously gauge and improve your own sense of connecting to the poem each time. For me, there has been a palpable difference through practicing this approach.
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I appreciated your comments particularly with respect to performance poetry.
Earlier this year I attended a reading contest sponsored by our public library. There was a mixture of average to very fine poetry presented. At the same time sever people god up and side some extemporaneous poetry. A couple of them were actually very good. One in fact was crowned the winner of the poetry reading contest.
I had a real problem with the fact that there were people who went to great length to select the best words in the best order to convey their images in language… words being their brush strokes. The winner would not even be able to repeat his performance verbatim. This was troubling.
I don’t doubt his efforts required talent. This however is like apples and oranges. It may be close, still you can’t make apple pie with oranges.
Earlier this year I attended a reading contest sponsored by our public library. There was a mixture of average to very fine poetry presented. At the same time sever people god up and side some extemporaneous poetry. A couple of them were actually very good. One in fact was crowned the winner of the poetry reading contest.
I had a real problem with the fact that there were people who went to great length to select the best words in the best order to convey their images in language… words being their brush strokes. The winner would not even be able to repeat his performance verbatim. This was troubling.
I don’t doubt his efforts required talent. This however is like apples and oranges. It may be close, still you can’t make apple pie with oranges.
Thanks, Michael. I think many modern poets can relate to this story all too well. I suppose a certain ability to attune to subtlety is required to appreciate poetry. And our MTV culture has bludgeoned that. But I blame equally the sometimes insular nature of so much postmodern poetry that seems to be almost encrypted. I feel that a reasonably intelligent person with a dictionary at their disposal should be able to get something out of a poem. And so, to me, the emergence of sensational performance poetry indicates not only that audiences are failing poets, but that poets are failing audiences, too.
Thanks for the mention and the link, Robert. We’re of like minds on this, and I’m not sure what the solution might be to the abounding annoyance of poets who are more inclined to develop an act rather than find a voice.
If the voice were found, something connected to a personality that makes its way through the world, then
an effective, moving reading style can be created without cap sizing the written work; good writing, whatever the style, will have a rhythm and music in the cadence that cannot be faked. Performance, as has been said, is all about fakery, artful fakery; a performance can be impressive regardless of the text that gives it premise, which means, we find, that
there is less of a demand for the poetry to stand on its own, a fully developed piece of writing in which tones and techniques other than constant exclamation.
If the voice were found, something connected to a personality that makes its way through the world, then
an effective, moving reading style can be created without cap sizing the written work; good writing, whatever the style, will have a rhythm and music in the cadence that cannot be faked. Performance, as has been said, is all about fakery, artful fakery; a performance can be impressive regardless of the text that gives it premise, which means, we find, that
there is less of a demand for the poetry to stand on its own, a fully developed piece of writing in which tones and techniques other than constant exclamation.
I agree, Ted, and think it is a kind of white elephant in some ways that a lot of contemporary poets don’t talk about. Perhaps that is, in fact, the best way to respond to performance poetry: not at all; instead to put energy in to writing works of literary merit, focusing on wordsmith and craft, and letting time tell what holds and what drops away.
Great discussion here. Not being a performer I’ve been reluctant to read my work in open-mic environments. I’m also slightly repelled by an "in your face" style of presenting work. I don’t really regard it as poetry.
Hey Michel,
Thanks for stopping by. I would encourage you to seek out those venues where words are allowed to flourish without decoration, props, or lots of acting — and read anyway! You can start b reading to a significant other or even a pet in the comfort of your own home. But while it’s true a lot of slam poetry takes the work to an extreme I dislike, I still think poetry is meant to be read aloud. In fact, I often read aloud when writing and revising. There are places out there where you can read your work without having to put on a show. Don’t let the showmen stop you from having your voice heard.
Cheers,
Robert
Thanks for stopping by. I would encourage you to seek out those venues where words are allowed to flourish without decoration, props, or lots of acting — and read anyway! You can start b reading to a significant other or even a pet in the comfort of your own home. But while it’s true a lot of slam poetry takes the work to an extreme I dislike, I still think poetry is meant to be read aloud. In fact, I often read aloud when writing and revising. There are places out there where you can read your work without having to put on a show. Don’t let the showmen stop you from having your voice heard.
Cheers,
Robert
Given the stories presented here I can understand your frustration with performance poetry. However, I think you’re using too large a brush for the canvas that is performance poetry. Yes, there is a large amount of effluence in the slam world but you have to remember that anyone at all is able to get up on that mic. If you are going to compare the overall body of slam to well crafted and published poetry then you are stacking the cards against performance poetry in an unfair manner.
There are books being published with CD accompaniment and there are also starting to be ways in which performance poetry is beginning to separate the poets who have discovered their voice from those who are still honing their craft.
If you would be so kind to indulge me, I would like to have a few publicly available performance pieces demonstrate my point.
Inua Ellams ~The Truth~
http://cdn2.libsyn.com/indiefeedpp/indiefeed_inuaellams_thetruth.mp3
Taylor Mali ~Depression too is a Kind of Fire~
http://cdn4.libsyn.com/indiefeedpp/indiefeed_taylormali_depressiontooisa.mp3
Anis Mojgani ~Shake the Dust~
http://cdn3.libsyn.com/indiefeedpp/indiefeed_anismojgani_shakethedust.mp3
There are books being published with CD accompaniment and there are also starting to be ways in which performance poetry is beginning to separate the poets who have discovered their voice from those who are still honing their craft.
If you would be so kind to indulge me, I would like to have a few publicly available performance pieces demonstrate my point.
Inua Ellams ~The Truth~
http://cdn2.libsyn.com/indiefeedpp/indiefeed_inuaellams_thetruth.mp3
Taylor Mali ~Depression too is a Kind of Fire~
http://cdn4.libsyn.com/indiefeedpp/indiefeed_taylormali_depressiontooisa.mp3
Anis Mojgani ~Shake the Dust~
http://cdn3.libsyn.com/indiefeedpp/indiefeed_anismojgani_shakethedust.mp3
