How to Read Poetry out Loud
Slow down., Pay attention to punctuation., Watch the lines., Emphasize important words., Remember the emotion., Don't get too dramatic.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Slow down.
When you read out loud, particularly if you're reading in front of other people, you'll have a tendency to speed up.
When you do, you'll run over the necessary stops and pauses, as well as running phrases and stanzas into each other.
Slowing down will help you appreciate the feeling of the words in your mouth and each sound as it stands in relation to the rest of the poem., Punctuation is carefully chosen by poets.
Dashes, commas, semi-colons, colons, periods, exclamation marks, and question marks all have different weight for poets.
All punctuation tells you to do something.
Usually, some kind of pause is appropriate, and you should take longer pauses with periods then, say, commas.
In addition, though, it tells you about the tone.For instance, a dash often stops the poem in a way that a comma doesn't.
Similarly, a sentence with a period shouldn't be read the same way as one with an exclamation mark or question mark. , Line breaks mean something to a poet.
When you're reading it aloud, consider why the poet might have chosen to break at that certain point.
You don't always need to pause at the end of a line, but sometimes, pausing can increase the emphasis on the line.A very short pause is usually what's appropriate at the end of a line without punctuation. , In a poem, certain words will have more punch than others.
They may stand out because they seem out of place in context, but with more reflection, they add a layer of depth to the poem.
Other words stand out because their connotation carries more weight than other words.
Think about what stands out to you as you read the poem, and try to emphasize those words or phrases slightly with the tone and volume of your voice.For instance, in William Stafford's poem "Traveling through the Dark," he writes about finding a deer dead on the side of the road at night.
One line says, "The car aimed ahead its lowered parking lights." In the previous stanzas, he talks about feeling the warmth of a fawn inside the doe's body and hesitating in his next action (to push the deer into the canyon so it wouldn't cause accidents).
The word "aimed" is a telling word, because it speaks of the car's indifference, as well as referencing the way the deer was likely killed, by another "aimed" car.
Therefore, "aimed" is a word you might want to emphasize., If you read in a monotone, your listeners are not going to connect to the poem.
Try to add some emotion by varying your tone.
If part of the poem is sad, try using a somber, slow tone.
If it's very exciting, speed up a little and add spark to your voice., While adding emphasis can make the poem more interesting, if you add too much, it's going to sound staged.
Try to keep it more on the natural side of things.
Many poems can be read in an easy, conversational tone. -
Step 2: Pay attention to punctuation.
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Step 3: Watch the lines.
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Step 4: Emphasize important words.
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Step 5: Remember the emotion.
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Step 6: Don't get too dramatic.
Detailed Guide
When you read out loud, particularly if you're reading in front of other people, you'll have a tendency to speed up.
When you do, you'll run over the necessary stops and pauses, as well as running phrases and stanzas into each other.
Slowing down will help you appreciate the feeling of the words in your mouth and each sound as it stands in relation to the rest of the poem., Punctuation is carefully chosen by poets.
Dashes, commas, semi-colons, colons, periods, exclamation marks, and question marks all have different weight for poets.
All punctuation tells you to do something.
Usually, some kind of pause is appropriate, and you should take longer pauses with periods then, say, commas.
In addition, though, it tells you about the tone.For instance, a dash often stops the poem in a way that a comma doesn't.
Similarly, a sentence with a period shouldn't be read the same way as one with an exclamation mark or question mark. , Line breaks mean something to a poet.
When you're reading it aloud, consider why the poet might have chosen to break at that certain point.
You don't always need to pause at the end of a line, but sometimes, pausing can increase the emphasis on the line.A very short pause is usually what's appropriate at the end of a line without punctuation. , In a poem, certain words will have more punch than others.
They may stand out because they seem out of place in context, but with more reflection, they add a layer of depth to the poem.
Other words stand out because their connotation carries more weight than other words.
Think about what stands out to you as you read the poem, and try to emphasize those words or phrases slightly with the tone and volume of your voice.For instance, in William Stafford's poem "Traveling through the Dark," he writes about finding a deer dead on the side of the road at night.
One line says, "The car aimed ahead its lowered parking lights." In the previous stanzas, he talks about feeling the warmth of a fawn inside the doe's body and hesitating in his next action (to push the deer into the canyon so it wouldn't cause accidents).
The word "aimed" is a telling word, because it speaks of the car's indifference, as well as referencing the way the deer was likely killed, by another "aimed" car.
Therefore, "aimed" is a word you might want to emphasize., If you read in a monotone, your listeners are not going to connect to the poem.
Try to add some emotion by varying your tone.
If part of the poem is sad, try using a somber, slow tone.
If it's very exciting, speed up a little and add spark to your voice., While adding emphasis can make the poem more interesting, if you add too much, it's going to sound staged.
Try to keep it more on the natural side of things.
Many poems can be read in an easy, conversational tone.
About the Author
Nicole Price
Committed to making pet care accessible and understandable for everyone.
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