by Mason Dupuis
How to Poetry Out Loud:
Mason Dupuis
It’s everyone’s favorite time of the school year: Poetry Out Loud season!
Just kidding.
If you're like me and you hate public speaking, the idea of reciting a poem from memory in front of your class can be stressful and nerve-wracking.
But, as a senior and four-year Poetry Out Loud veteran, I'd like to think I have some good advice to share with those of you who are less experienced with Poetry Out Loud. Hopefully, the lessons I’ve learned will help your Poetry Out Loud experience be less stressful and more successful:
Don’t put it off: If it’s your first time doing Poetry Out Loud, you’ve probably figured out that over the next few weeks you will be working to memorize a poem you choose from the Poetry Out Loud website. Or, if you’re like many students, you will be putting off memorizing your poem until the last minute. This is an easy mistake to make, especially if the idea of reciting a poem fills you with dread. However, take it from me, a Poetry Out Loud veteran, DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE. Trust me, it’s a lot less stressful to memorize your poem now than it will be to blank out on it when you're standing in front of your English class on recitation day.
Be picky: My next piece of advice is to make sure you choose the right poem. Don’t just pick the first one you see (I’ve made this mistake before) or choose the same poem your friend is doing (I’ve made this mistake too.) Find a poem on a topic you care about. It could be sports, animals, nature, whatever you’re into. On the website, you can use different filter tools to narrow your search. Once you find a few poems you actually like, make your final choice based on how realistic it will be for you to memorize.
Break it up: In my experience, the best way to memorize your poem is to break it down into a few sections and focus on memorizing one at a time. When you have one section mastered, move on to the next one. After that, you can put the sections together, and try reciting the whole poem from memory.
Practice makes perfect. Most likely, your teacher will give you a few minutes in class to practice your poem. Use that as an opportunity to practice reciting it in front of a friend or two. Remember, eventually, you're going to be reciting your poem in front of your whole class, so it’s good practice to recite your poem in front of people.
Treat it like your favorite song: Everyone has that one favorite song that they know every lyric to by heart. But how did you memorize it? You listened to it a million times. Try memorizing your poem like you memorize a song. If you can, find an audio version of your poem and listen to it like you would a song. I guarantee listening to it will help you commit it to memory.
Just breathe: Presenting in front of the class is scary for most. I know. You might have your poem down perfectly in your head, but when you get up in front of the class, the pressure of having all eyes on you is all you can focus on and you might have a moment where you completely blank on your poem. It’s okay. When you get up there, try closing your eyes for a second and forget that people are watching you. Take a deep breath. Try to relax and just focus on your poem and nothing else. You’ll get through it. We all do.
You might not love Poetry Out Loud, but don’t let this ruin your perception of poetry in general. Poetry is awesome. It’s a form of expression. Writing poetry is a way to get your thoughts and feelings out into the open. Poetry helps us connect and find meaning in our experiences. It helps us see the world in different perspectives. The beautiful part about poetry is there are almost no rules. You can write about whatever you want, however you want. It can rhyme. It can be structured however you want. It can be however long or short you want.
Maybe writing isn’t your thing, but poetry might be appealing to you if you give it a chance. It’s cool, it’s fun, it’s therapy.