As a poet, being able to effectively read poetry is almost as important as being able to write it. From other poems, we learn techniques, styles, and other ways to improve our own works. So, here I bring you some techniques I learned from experience and from reading Philip Pullman’s introduction to “Paradise Lost”, John Milton’s legendary masterpiece.
1. Don’t listen to music, least of all music with words you know and sing along to. When you do this, it detracts from the poems natural rhythm, almost like listening two songs at the same time, even if they’re in the same key.
2. Read with your mouth (not literally, you weirdos). Speak the words as you read them, as quietly or loudly as you want. Poetry is MEANT to be spoken - it’s like using your voice as a piece of percussion versus the more traditional instrument, your singing voice. Even if you don’t understand the words, you will grasp more of the meaning than someone who looks up all of the words.
3. After reading with your mouth, go back through and think about what each line/stanza/page means. Don’t “translate it” as though you were in 8th grade English class - just let the words themselves sink in. Remember, “impious” doesn’t mean not religious or against religion; it means “impious” and the writer chose that word for a reason.
So you see, just these few tricks can help you understand and separate good poetry from the bad. These tricks work and I hope it will all help you become better writers, because we’re never done improving or skills (certainly I'm not).
<3, Athena
Edit: TWICE featured? Yo, you guys rock!
Improve your poetry reading skills in a few easy steps - and understand everything from Shakespeare to Langston Hughes.
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Indeed it is just as important how we read a poem as to how we write one.I agree with the advice but just as each poet will write with their own inflections and nuances so they will add there own when reading a poem.I enjoy listening to Spoken Word poetry and reading mine to others,both give the listener and the orator chance to add breath and give birth to a poem.Indeed we are always learning,discovering new words and new ways,either ours or those of other's.An informative coluumn which will hopefully be beneficial to all.
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Wise advice
As an English teacher, I am aware of the value of good advice on the reading of poetry. What you said is absolutely correct, especially in relation to the way a specific word fits in with the poem's tone, theme, mood etc, The word is not as important as its function in the poem. Well done. camus -
I'm always looking for new ways to improve my reading skills. this helps a lot, thanks.
<3
Jayne -
Reading aloud silently
Came to me suddenly when I was about 15 (That was a LONG time ago!!!). Suddenly poetry makes sense! You do also have to learn lots of different voices and metres and some poems will completely skip past you until you hear someone else read them.
To fully get Shakespeare though PLEASE go and see some on stage, he is worth it!
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You know what you're talking about. Nice. I learned this a couple of years ago, and I don't know. Stuck with it, but you really were able to break it down.
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i completely agree with number two. however i must add that somtimes.. just sometimes when it fits -as odd as this may seem- ...singing the poems helps too.
i disagree with number on only slightly, just keep the music low.. but it really depends on the music/pome combination.
as for number three.. the second time you read it don't figure it out. just read it... i don't intend for peopel to go through and pick apart my work when i write it.. so don't. at least not the first few times. after that.. well i still don't preffer it. but it's really up to the reader.
....in anycase a well written and enjoyable piece,
Candace -
But...we spent so many weeks translating stuff in english!
Very good advise to anyone who is writing nearly anything. Especially speaking the words. They translate differently than just reading them sometimes.
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Thank you for sharing this..
I think this is a very helpful post, I agree with some of the others who commented already! Poetry is so much better when read aloud! -
thanx
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This was nice
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I've written some of my best poems listening to music; it inspires me!
Good column though.
Peace Georgia
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yes well it's about reading isn't it, not writing
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It isn't like listening to two songs at the same time because I'm going with the flow of the music.
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But not all poems and/or all songs have the same rhythm (obviously) so it's best to just not listen to any music.
And yes, it is about reading. If you're writing, go right ahead, it makes no difference to me.
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I sometimes if I'm lost completely for inspiration
listen to classical music~ it stirs me. Also when reading poetry, or even books, write down words that appeal to you~ no, don't copy the sentence, lol.
I find that one word can inspire a full-blown rant, ahem, I mean poem. And I definitely agree about reading work out loud, I attend poetry readings, and find I will sometimes edit poems when I speak them on the spot. So it goes to show, they weren't really spoken out enough by me,
and one more thing~ write everyday, even if it's gibberish. It gets the juices flowing.
Thanks for posting some very valuable tips!
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never done ...
and so well said! Thanks for sharing these valuable
tips! I find that by giving a newly written poem to a friend, etc. to read aloud, almost instantly helps me 'hear' where my flaws are. Problem is in sometimes finding that person! We tend to read it the way we wrote it and miss out on how another might read it. I have also found that with free verse, which is sometimes tedious to read, that hearing it read by the author themselves, that the poem comes alive. Unfortunately we can't always do that with those that have passed on! Pronunciations also can be different depending on your culture as I am finding with rhyming poetry. I'm glad that you shared this column though and it could be expounded upon as well! Thanks, joy
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thank you for sharing htis column with me. sometimes i read so much i don't know how to comment on them. perhaps this will help me to pick up on a few things that i am missing. i am looking forward to reading more like this from you soon. viyanna rosemarie
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very nice
i found this extremely helpful and insightful. you approached it from a way that we can all (or mostly all, i spose) understand and and you laid it out in a clean fashion. kept my attention through the whole thing, because it was short and sweet. i feel smarter, thank you. have a good one.
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That's actually helpful, thanks.
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Do you slam/particpate in spoken word? If not you should. I invite you to read my allpoetry profile as well as some/any/all of my work posted on this site.
-Curtis Meyer -
On number two, I agree partially with this. It is important to read a poem outloud, but it is just as important to look up a word you don't know. Especially in regards to Shakespeare or Byron or any of the older poets.
Because we don't use so many of the words in those poems, it's important to look up how they were used in that day. It's important to understand the context of the word- which requires research. Not for every poem, no, but for many of them.
Some poems need to be translated in order to be understood. With some writing (not just poetry) it is important to go through line by line. What finally made Shakespeare click for me was reading line by line and rewriting that line in contemporary language until I understood the rhythm and meaning of the words.
I don't believe that reading a poem outloud enables someone to grasp more meaning than looking up words you don't know.
Impious doesn't mean against religion, it means lack of respect. But how does someone know that if they don't look up the word. Impious doesn't mean "impious", there's a defintion for it and a meaning behind it and yes, the writer chose that word for a reason, if you don't know what the word means, looking it up will give you greater insite than saying it outloud.
Overall, I liked your column, but found it a little flawed. -
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1602, from L. pius "dutiful, kind, devout," perhaps related to L. purus "pure, clean" (see pure).
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=pious&searchmode=none -
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Yes, yes, I made one human error, you may throw the potatoes at me now, groundlings...
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I would Never throw potatoes! Those hurt!
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<3 Thanks for that.
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I know the feeling
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Welcome to allpoetry.
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thank you , you shared this very well
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Say it Aloud
Well said
poetry is meant to be read aloud in dark places I believe as you say the words you feel them as you speak the way the words fall from your lips you gain an appreciation of them, how they sound, the beat of the lines, the pauses as the poet's spacing and punctuation impact on your mouth. Some poems are a definite must to be read aloud and you feel these as you say them hear the words you speak and between your eyes, ears and mouth the sensors alert the brain and the poem is devoured in thought. As a reader I can appreciate the spoken word even more. Thank you for this column a few simple methods to assist in both the writing and reading of poetry.
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