Remember…in a poetry
slam you do not have to have a poem memorized. It helps, but is not
necessary. If you can even just memorize parts of it…this
will add to the
presentation.
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Read the
poem over slowly, to yourself and out loud.
o
Often
when reading out loud, you will find things don’t work for you or some
things work very well
o
It helps
to hear someone else read the poem out loud
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Understand why the poem appeals to you. What do you like about it?
Is there anything you don't like about it?
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What is
the tone of the poem? Is it angry, confused, joyous. The poem’s tone helps
shape the performance. You probably shouldn't be
smiling while doing and angry poem.
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Look at
the poem on the page. Understand its form and shape.
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Read the
poem over again … slowly … out loud. Feel its physical shape in your mouth,
your throat, your lungs, your heart. Try reading
the poem with a pencil in your mouth. If you tend to speak softly,
shout the poem out. If you tend to speak loudly, whisper the poem.
Ø
Using an
index card, cover all but the first line of the poem. Read the first line
out loud. Look away, visualize the line in air, and say it out loud again.
Look back. Do this a few times until you have the first line memorized.
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Now
uncover the second line. Memorize it as you did the first line, but say it
out loud in addition to first, until you’ve got the two.
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And so
on…
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Once the
poem is memorized, you are ready to hear it through performance. You are
ready to find its voice. You are ready to find yourself in the poem.
Inhabit the poem physically. Wear it to bed.
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Even
when you think you have a poem memorized, you should go over it in your head
just prior to performing. A good way to do this is to say it in your head
as fast as you can. Where you trip up, is usually the place you don’t know
as well as the rest, the place to concentrate on.