Let's Hear It Discussion Thread

This thread is intended to accompany our poetry read-aloud threads:

Let's Hear It For The Poets

and Let's Hear It for the Non-Lit Poets

Feel free to start or contribute to discussions here about reading poetry aloud. If you refer to a specific poem, from Lit or elsewhere, make sure you credit the author.

You can use the links above to toggle back and forth between the reading threads.

Your ideas, observations and questions are always welcome so post away!

Trix, I love your Blitz. Those little phrases can be mighty. I listened to it first and you really made it sing. It's fascinating to me that if I just listen first it's like a different poem!

Angeline said:

Trix, I love your Blitz. Those little phrases can be mighty. I listened to it first and you really made it sing. It's fascinating to me that if I just listen first it's like a different poem!

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It is interesting the differences, to me it's like reading a book and watching a movie. If I read it first I have my own ideas, my own pictures of how the story goes and the audio may enhance or detract from the way I originally saw the story, but I still have the original story I saw/felt/heard in my head. If I hear it first then I take into the read whatever emotion and emphasis the person reading put into it and build from there. I have to say I think I prefer to read it first, then, rather than one story I get two. You can't unhear someone else's interpretation and it can't help but color your own.

Trixareforkids said:

It is interesting the differences, to me it's like reading a book and watching a movie. If I read it first I have my own ideas, my own pictures of how the story goes and the audio may enhance or detract from the way I originally saw the story, but I still have the original story I saw/felt/heard in my head. If I hear it first then I take into the read whatever emotion and emphasis the person reading put into it and build from there. I have to say I think I prefer to read it first, then, rather than one story I get two. You can't unhear someone else's interpretation and it can't help but color your own.

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Yes! Perfect analogy!

I usually prefer to read first, but hearing it first--especially if the author reads it--helps me understand what they intended. If someone else reads my poem (like Callie's fine interpretation of my blitz), I can compare what they seem to hear in it compared to what I intended when I wrote it. It's win-win all around!

Angeline said:

Lyricalli kindly agreed to read my blitz poem. That's no easy task because the poem is meant to be read fast. Anyway I love her read and how she managed to speed through the read, yet still emphasize key words.

Thank you again, Calli, not only for that fast, smooth read, but also for helping me see things in the poem I missed just reading it silently. s x 12

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You're so welcome. It really was my pleasure. A bit of a challenge, but the good kind. At first, each time I read through it aloud, I'd find another line or couple of lines that spoke to me. I'm so pleased you're happy with it. Thanks again for your kind words.

Lyricalli said:

You're so welcome. It really was my pleasure. A bit of a challenge, but the good kind. At first, each time I read through it aloud, I'd find another line or couple of lines that spoke to me. I'm so pleased you're happy with it. Thanks again for your kind words.

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I was just being honest.

Angeline said:

I usually prefer to read first, but hearing it first--especially if the author reads it--helps me understand what they intended.

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I got really scared when I heard someone read my poem the wrong way, which is the only reason I had to do it myself (no naming names). It actually turned out for the better. I would read other people's poems but no one has asked.

JanneE said:

I got really scared when I heard someone read my poem the wrong way, which is the only reason I had to do it myself (no naming names). It actually turned out for the better. I would read other people's poems but no one has asked.

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Hi and welcome.

I'm not sure why hearing someone read a poem the wrong way would scare you, but if it made you start recording that's good! I think we all assume our own readings of our poems will be the best. Maybe they are for us as authors, but I like hearing other people read my stuff cause I hear different things: maybe I'll learn something new. And if not that's ok, too.

I think the general agreement here is that if you want to read someone's poem, just pick one and ask the author if you can record it (or ask them to pick a poem for you). Record the poem and pm it to the author to approve it, then if you want to post it make sure you credit the author.

You may know this already, but I'm assuming you are new to the forum.

Angeline said:

I think we all assume our own readings of our poems will be the best. Maybe they are for us as authors, but I like hearing other people read my stuff cause I hear different things: maybe I'll learn something new. And if not that's ok, too.

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I have to quibble with the first part of this statement. I have pieces, aside from the voice challenge, that I've written in 'voices' not my own and though I may read them anyway (like Duh Orange White and Blue), I know there are others who could/would do more justice to them.

To follow the analogy I began with the written piece being the book and the recorded piece being the movie, who reads and how they read (the actor) can make all the difference between making it a hit or a flop. A good script in the hands of the wrong actor can kill a scene and the reverse is true, a mediocre script can be brought to life by a good actor.

That's the fun and interesting part of hearing the different reads of our own and other people's pieces. What type of feeling each reader brings and how they express it is where I gain new insights into a piece, especially my own where I have the most invested in my own interpretation.

JanneE said:

I got really scared when I heard someone read my poem the wrong way, which is the only reason I had to do it myself (no naming names). It actually turned out for the better. I would read other people's poems but no one has asked.

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When you put a poem, or anything else open to interpretation, out into the world, I think you have to let go of it to some degree. Your intentions for a piece aren't always going to be what someone else gets out of it. They aren't reading it wrong, just differently. Admittedly, that can be a little disconcerting at first.

I think of it like a song, which can have a completely different feel when done by different musicians with different styles. Sometimes, I don't think it works, but sometimes it opens up the song in a way that allows me to get even more out of it.

Ang, Red Shift is terrific! Lol I read it first and immediately wanted to voice it. I like your reading, your pacing is slower than I "hear" it but in a great languid way.
If I can read it the way I hear it I'll post a link so we can compare the two and what comes to the fore from the variations.

Trixareforkids said:

Ang, Red Shift is terrific! Lol I read it first and immediately wanted to voice it. I like your reading, your pacing is slower than I "hear" it but in a great languid way.
If I can read it the way I hear it I'll post a link so we can compare the two and what comes to the fore from the variations.

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Isn't it wonderful stuff?

I am a big fan of Ted Berrigan's poetry. I knew I'd read something of his for this thread. He's one of those poets who I wish were better known. I dig how he can be funny and profound at the same time.

I would love to listen to you read Red Shift. I agree it should be read faster (or differently) than I did it. I read in a way I knew my voice could handle. Also Berrigan can be inconsistent with punctuation, and breaks his lines in very strange places sometimes. It took me a bunch of tries to read it in a way that I think the poem deserves--to try to find Ted's voice in there. I know I whiffed it in some places, too, but it's a longish poem.

Looking forward to your read and more discussion!

Trix, I don't know when or how I've seen Taylor Mali before, but I recognized him instantly when I clicked the first video. It was probably a few years ago, but I know I binged on his videos once before. Thanks for posting the links and reminding me of him.

Lyricalli said:

Trix, I don't know when or how I've seen Taylor Mali before, but I recognized him instantly when I clicked the first video. It was probably a few years ago, but I know I binged on his videos once before. Thanks for posting the links and reminding me of him.

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I first found him via the Outlaw Bible of American Poetry, he's got some great pieces and is damn good at delivering them.

AlwaysHungry said:

And now for something in a different vein.

The Definition of Love
BY ANDREW MARVELL

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I know Marvell some, from my undergrad years. Your reading is clear and easy to follow the sense of the poem as much as the rhyme. That's very important imo. Of the two great metaphysical poets of the period I prefer Donne, maybe because I read more of him. Donne seems more accessible to me, maybe because Marvell could be more acerbic (albeit not in the poem you read).

Lyricalli said:

I noticed that this poem, posted earlier, had no recording attached to it, so I did one:

Dog - Lawrence Ferlinghetti

I attempted to recreate the formatting of the poem, but I couldn't get it quite right with the limitations of posting. The Poem can be seen properly at Poetry Foundation.

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Love Ferlinghetti! I Am Waiting is my favorite of his. It's kind of like a blitz poem when you think about it.

Trixareforkids said:

Two from Taylor Mali

Like Lilly Like Wilson

and

Why Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog

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Mali is not blowing me away. Too dramatic. Sometimes I like dramatic but here it feels like more drama and less poem to me. Maybe I need to hear something different to love him.