ShmoopTube

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[Coop and Dino singing]

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Have you ever written a poem and instantly wanted to stand in front of a gigantic audience [Man reciting poem on stage]

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of strangers and read it out loud to them?

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Uh-oh.

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Here come the cold sweats.

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Actually…reading poetry in public can be very satisfying, so long as you're prepared. [Man reading poem in public in underpants]

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Otherwise, it is Grade A nightmare fuel.

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When you get a group of people together in a room to read poems, it's called a poetry

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recital, and yeah, for a newcomer it can be…a little scary. [Group of people watching a person reciting a poem]

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Sweaty hands.

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Stammering.

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Tripping over words. [Man falling over a word]

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The loss of control of your bowels.

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But it doesn't have to be that way, so long as you follow our Shmoop-approved Poetry Recital Prep Tips.

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Tip number one: use a highlighter or make notes on your poem to show where you will [Coop discussing tip 1]

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add gestures or change the tone or volume of your voice.

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If you want to place emphasis on specific words, make sure to make a note of it so you [Man making a note to self]

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don't forget.

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You’re gonna have a lot going on up there.

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Don’t leave anything to chance.

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Tip two is to always make sure you're aware of the appropriate pace. [Dino talking about tip 2]

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By that we mean that you should make sure you know the speed at which you're going to

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say the poem – too fast can be confusing and too slow can get boring. [Man frantically moves fast while reciting poem]

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You want to be like the baby bear.

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Juuuust right. [Baby bear playing the drums]

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Tip three might seem like a no-brainer, but it's worth mentioning: make sure you know

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how to say all the words before you get up on stage.

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No one wants to be standing in front of a crowd of randoms, only to suddenly realize [Man on stage reciting poem]

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they don't know how to properly pronounce the word especially.

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No, it's not ex-specially.

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And you can’t drown your sorrows in an ex-presso, either. [Man holding a coffee cup]

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Tip number four is to remember to make eye contact.

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It's okay to look down at your page from time to time, but nothing is worse than a reader

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who has their face buried in the page. [Man on stage hiding behind paper]

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All right…there are some worse things.

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But not many.

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Finally… the most important one: Practice, practice, practice.

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Practice your gestures, speed, volume, tone, and eye-contact.

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If you're well practiced, you'll be confident, and if you're confident, you'll be great.

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At that point, you’ll only be limited by the strength of your material.

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Oof. [Audience walks out of poetry recital]

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Maybe softball is more your thing?

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