Performing in front of an audience can be nerve wracking, creating anxiety and fear. Reciting one's poetry to a crowd is particularly challenging. One can feel more vulnerable performing alone. The pieces might also be of a personal nature, potentially leading one to feel emotional. Although some nervousness or stage fright is normal and often a positive spur before a performance, it is best to learn how not to let anxiety get in the way of a poetry reading. If one can be prepared and focused, the poems will be read more effectively and the audience will connect to the work at a deeper level.
Preparing to Perform Poetry
Although some performers select their poems in the moment or recite random material, this type of reading usually only emerges after many years of practice. To feel more confident about a poetry reading, choose the pieces to read beforehand. Pick them about a week prior to the event. That way, one has time to make additions and deletions.
Find out how long the particular reading is and what place one has in the lineup of performers. If it is a solo reading, it's even more crucial to prepare ahead. Not reading long enough is much preferable to reading too long, but a balance is best. Select pieces that provide an interesting texture, both tonally and content-wise. Mark the pieces in the book clearly or write a list with the poems in order of reading.
Read the poems aloud to yourself and one or two loved ones before the event. This practice will assist one to gauge the effectiveness of the selections in terms of length, subject matter and sound. It will also diminish the likelihood of making mistakes while reciting. Preparing the comments between poems or the introductions to poems is also vital. Leave room for sponteneity but create structure as well.
The audience will be more open to listening to the poems if they sense the presence of order. Preparation diminishes anxiety and reduces the obvious signs of nervousness that can get in the way of a powerful performance.
Increase Focus and Attention while Performing Poems
A distracted performer is not an engaging one. If well prepared, it should be fairly easy to maintain focus on the texts one has selected to read. Breathe deeply. Ideally, practicing breath control should also be part of a poet's regular regime. Warming up the vocal chords with singing techniques allows the voice to carry further and be more resonant.
Get comfortable with microphones. Constantly adjusting them or not speaking into them properly can ruin a reading. If there's no mic, then one's voice must be strong and confident to project properly. If there's a lectern or podium, rest the book or papers on it in an organized fashion. If there isn't one, then try to turn the pages as unobtrusively as possible.
Don't just look down at the text. Glance up at the audience from time to time. Pan the room a bit. Settle on one individual without looking at them directly in the eyes. Thank the audience at the end for listening.
If at any point in the performance, nervousness grows, remember that the poet is merely a channel for the words. Try to overcome personal obstacles that impede the recitation of the piece and the poetry reading will be a memorable one.
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