How to recite a poem

Reciting a poem is not a memory test. The judges, and the audience, want to feel that you understand the poem and enjoy saying it. Here is a simple way to choose, learn and perform one.

Choose the right poem

Pick a poem you like. If two poems are equally good, take the shorter one. A short poem said well beats a long poem rushed.

Understand it first

1. Read the poem aloud once, slowly.
2. Look up every word you do not know.
3. Say in one sentence what the poem is about. If you cannot, read it again.
4. Mark the feeling of each stanza in pencil: proud, sad, playful, calm.

Learn it in four evenings

1. Evening 1: learn the first half, two lines at a time. Say them without looking, then add two more.
2. Evening 2: learn the second half the same way. Then say the whole poem once.
3. Evening 3: say it standing up, to a family member. Fix the lines where you stumble.
4. Evening 4: say it three times with expression. Stop. Sleep early.

Writing the poem out by hand once helps more than reading it ten times.

On the stage

• Begin properly: greet the audience, then say the title and the poet's name. Pause. Then start.
• Slow down. Nervous speakers go fast. Speak at half the speed that feels natural.
• Pause at punctuation, not at the end of every line. A comma is a short breath, a full stop a longer one.
• Look at people. Choose three points in the hall, left, middle and right, and speak to each in turn.
• Use your hands a little. One or two natural gestures are enough. Do not act out every word.
• If you forget a line, stay calm, take a breath and go on from the next line you remember. Most listeners will not notice.
• End properly: pause after the last line, say thank you, and walk off without hurry.

What judges usually mark

• Memory: the poem said fully and correctly.
• Pronunciation and clarity: every word heard at the back.
• Expression: voice and face matching the feeling.
• Confidence: posture, eye contact, a steady start and end.
• Choice of poem: suited to the age of the speaker.

Marking schemes differ from school to school, so ask your teacher for the rules of your competition.

Voice: the four controls

• Volume: loud enough for the last row, without shouting. Practise in the biggest room you have.
• Speed: slower for sad or serious lines, quicker for playful ones.
• Pitch: let your voice rise for questions and fall at the end of a thought.
• Pause: the most powerful of the four. A pause before the important line makes the hall lean in.

Common mistakes

• Singing the poem in a fixed tune, the same for every line. Speak it as meaning, not as a chant.
• Stopping at the end of each line even when the sentence runs on.
• Looking at the ceiling or the floor.
• Too many actions. Hands should help the words, not compete with them.
• Rushing off the stage on the last word.

Reciting in Hindi or Punjabi

The same rules hold. Take extra care with sounds that change meaning: the nukta in ज़ and फ़, the difference between ड and ड़, and in Punjabi the addhak and tippi. Ask your language teacher to listen once. Our Hindi and Punjabi pages have short poems suited to each class.

Want to write the poem you recite? See How to write a poem and Kinds of poems, with examples.