Hearing a Poem - the trick is in the sound
I shall have two postings today cos I have promised to dedicate the next posting to an ex-pupil's concerns.
But first on poetry. Remember the two key aspects of a poem that makes it a strange piece of writing? See previous posting on 6 June 2006.
A poem if taken as a reading (you know how lecturers refer to articles you have to read as readings?) is also not like a typical reading. The thing about a reading is you can read a paragraph, leave off to get some cookies, come back to the article and continue. With poetry, no breaks allowed.
Let you in on a secret: if what you hear everyday is just "cool" teenspeak and your language items in your mind greet the world as sms lingo, Houston we have problem.
Unless you are reading the newest and latest of modern poets, I doubt if the poems you get to read in school are anywhere near as hip in tune, tone and sound.
I have a few solutions
Look out for good speakers. I used to recommend BBC but I don't think that works. I am beginning to take podcasting seriously. But really the teacher should offer to read for the class.
Next, get to a library and hunt down some audio tapes. Young people take on new sounds really fast. As it is every new song just gets into your consciousness. At this moment , you just have to say "Don't cha" and every teen mate knows you are referring to Nicole and the girls.
So you have to create some mental library of the sound of poets. Once you hear a reading of a poem, and if you have the poem before you, you will realise that most poems are meant to be heard. The gaps presented by carefully chosen punctuation become very important and the deliberately placed words with different degrees of similarity in sound play a huge part in conveying the intentions of the poet.
I will definitely talk about the use of sound in the coming weeks.
But first, back to gaps, pauses and breaks.
Where a line breaks to go on to the next line, you have to have a clear break in your reading. Respect all punctuation. Commas are transitory. Full-stops are dead-serious brakes and Exclamation Marks are a hints about the genre - too many exclamation marks = a humorous poem, either that or you are reading a poet's overdone declaration of love.
There are even black poets who use the break mid-line to suggest complete shock and mental disconnection.
Treat the poem like a musical score and read in all the notes and pauses.
Don't cha miss a beat!
But first on poetry. Remember the two key aspects of a poem that makes it a strange piece of writing? See previous posting on 6 June 2006.
A poem if taken as a reading (you know how lecturers refer to articles you have to read as readings?) is also not like a typical reading. The thing about a reading is you can read a paragraph, leave off to get some cookies, come back to the article and continue. With poetry, no breaks allowed.
Let you in on a secret: if what you hear everyday is just "cool" teenspeak and your language items in your mind greet the world as sms lingo, Houston we have problem.
Unless you are reading the newest and latest of modern poets, I doubt if the poems you get to read in school are anywhere near as hip in tune, tone and sound.
I have a few solutions
Look out for good speakers. I used to recommend BBC but I don't think that works. I am beginning to take podcasting seriously. But really the teacher should offer to read for the class.
Next, get to a library and hunt down some audio tapes. Young people take on new sounds really fast. As it is every new song just gets into your consciousness. At this moment , you just have to say "Don't cha" and every teen mate knows you are referring to Nicole and the girls.
So you have to create some mental library of the sound of poets. Once you hear a reading of a poem, and if you have the poem before you, you will realise that most poems are meant to be heard. The gaps presented by carefully chosen punctuation become very important and the deliberately placed words with different degrees of similarity in sound play a huge part in conveying the intentions of the poet.
I will definitely talk about the use of sound in the coming weeks.
But first, back to gaps, pauses and breaks.
Where a line breaks to go on to the next line, you have to have a clear break in your reading. Respect all punctuation. Commas are transitory. Full-stops are dead-serious brakes and Exclamation Marks are a hints about the genre - too many exclamation marks = a humorous poem, either that or you are reading a poet's overdone declaration of love.
There are even black poets who use the break mid-line to suggest complete shock and mental disconnection.
Treat the poem like a musical score and read in all the notes and pauses.
Don't cha miss a beat!
Comments