You say 'embody'. I'm assuming (hoping!) you aren't simply referring to
gesture? I've seen poets whose gestures amount to mannerisms or even tics,
and it can be at best distracting and at worst embarrassing. How far can,
should, this be done, I wonder, through pitch and pace of voice?
joanna
----- Original Message -----
From: "Douglas Barbour" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2005 4:17 PM
Subject: Re: Poem/Play (was Re: Pinter on Blair et al.)
> Fascinating point, Joanna, & I agree. To all points, but I think it's also
> to do with differentiating the genres, drama & poetry, so that holding
> that book or page while you 'read' a poem signals precisely that what is
> happening has to do with poetry not drama. Which is not to say that there
> are good & poor readings, & that a good one does involve learning how to
> pitch the poem, how to 'embody' it, etc....
>
> Doug
> On 10-Dec-05, at 2:46 PM, Joanna Boulter wrote:
>
>> A few times, I've heard memorised poetry performed. I must say, this
>> usually makes me somewhat uneasy -- it tends to lead performance towards
>> declamation if it's not very carefully handled.
>>
>> This is not the same, I would stress, as giving a reading and finding
>> part way through that you've been doing occasional bits from memory.
>>
>> Didn't we have a thread somewhat along these lines, some time ago? It's
>> still interesting.
>>
>> joanna
> Douglas Barbour
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> Christopher Dewdney
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