I think its sad that these days we mostly think of poetry as something you read, rather than listen too. I find I enjoy it so much more as an art when it is recited aloud, indeed whenever I read books such as Anne of Green Gables in which poetry recitations are featured I always wish that I could attend. Of course there are still some groups that do this, but it is not as popular as it once was.

As one of my 101 tasks that I have set for myself, I chose to memorise a poem. I’ve not done this for a long time, since it was an assignment in school, and I’m amazed at how it wakes my mind up actually. I thought it would be far more difficult than it is, but really I find it quite stimulating and it helps me to focus and train my memory, something that I’ve let run rather wild since I no longer have to learn lines for plays.

In case you are interested in trying this, I thought I’d share a few tips.

Choose a poem you really love. Something that has meaning for you and flows beautifully in your mind. Don’t choose a poem with too many verses, unless you’re fairly confident of your ability to memorise them all. You may already have your own favourite poets, I’m particularly fond of Tennyson, Keats and Wordsworth.

Print out a copy of the Poem, or better yet, write it by hand! Put it somewhere you can easily access it or look at it when you have a moment.

There are many different techniques that people use for memorisation. One that is quite popular is to read the first line in your head, then turn over the paper and say it aloud. Go back and read the second line and then say both of them aloud. Follow through for the rest of the poem saying one extra line each time. Personally, I find this good for shorter pieces but a bit tedious for long ones. I prefer to learn each verse at a time and then string them together in this way.

Recite the poem, or what you have learned of it so far, in your head all the time. Recite it when you’re on the bus, doing your laundry, walking the dog, brushing your hair. Reciting it while you are doing other activities is good because it trains your mind to go over it automatically, without thinking too much. You may even find it gets stuck in your head like a song, and you go over it without even trying!

If you would like to recite the poem to an audience, or even for yourself, the next step after learning the words and rhythm is to understand the meaning. Think about each line, each verse and what emotions it evokes in you. If you were feeling that emotion for the first time, how would you express it? Poetry that is just read without feeling is not half as beautiful as a performance where the reader puts all of their heart in to it. Imagine yourself as a storyteller or narrator. Think about your body language and expressions and make eye contact with your audience.

You’ll probably find poems stay in your memory longer than you would expect. I can still recite verses of poems and snippets of shakespeare I learnt years ago, though to be able to recite the whole pieces in order I’d have to read through them again more recently.

I think poetry is one of the most beautiful or the written arts, and oral interpretations really add so much to our understanding of the words that are otherwise just paper and ink. If you’re interested, the poem that I’m learning right now is an excerpt from Tennyson’s ‘Maud: a Monodrama’ you can read it here.