Poet-Speak?
Do you read your poetry in a certain way? Do you find yourself reading in a sort of sing-song rhythm, or does it bop along in a jazzy spoken word style?
Weekend America offers this rather humorous, somewhat mocking story on the cadence of various poets, from Yeats to Giovanni, and everyone in between.
I can't tell if we poets are being mocked or given a careful examination of our inflected styles. I think it's a good story because it does both. And, is poet-speak a form of art?
Here's the audio: The Sing-Song Rhythm of Poet Speak
And a link to the text.
Weekend America offers this rather humorous, somewhat mocking story on the cadence of various poets, from Yeats to Giovanni, and everyone in between.
I can't tell if we poets are being mocked or given a careful examination of our inflected styles. I think it's a good story because it does both. And, is poet-speak a form of art?
Here's the audio: The Sing-Song Rhythm of Poet Speak
And a link to the text.
Comments
Interesting.
I read a little flat, but I came out of the university tradition. I add a little inflection when necessary but I like the words to stand on its own.
I found this interesting, thanks January. In NZ we also have all the types of readers as described in that podcast.
but subtractable.
Rising-question-ending is really
maddening. Unsure? Really?
Excellent poems cut up like steak
on the highchair tray. The horror!
So many monotones. Funny, but
that's not the poem. Be true,
emote a bit. Have faith that the
listener can bend it still.
If you don't want to color,
go slow. The audience didn't spend
25 hours on the poem. They have
some catching up to do.
Silence is a rhythm too.
Very true, Jim. But I have to admit, I like hearing a really talented performance poet. So I don't mind the sing-songy voice coming from someone who seems to understand poetry. But if it feels like a gimmick, then I tune out.
Actually, sing-song and jazzy
are nice...if the poem really is.
(to me)
The big wish is for all
the 'virtual' question marks to
disappear. You don't seem to
have any. Pretty natural, actually.
No ????, no zombies. ;)