Start your recitation with the title of the poem and the poet’s name:
“Heat” by Archibald Lampman
"400: Coming Home" by Dennis Lee
Then begin your recitation. Once you’ve finished your recitation, pause to let the poem settle over the audience, then walk away.
Tips from: http://www.poetryinvoice.com/
Establish a strong stage presence by practising the following:
Avoid:
If you don’t understand your poem, neither will your audience.
Use your voice to make the poem come alive for the audience. Make careful decisions about your volume and pacing:
Avoid:
You’ll never be penalized for your natural accent; however, affected character accents are strongly discouraged.
When you recite, you’re more like a narrator than an actor. You need to convey the meaning and enhance the audience’s experience of the poem without acting it out.
Avoid:
Feedback:
Vocal variety refers to the way we use our voice. It's a combination of elements: pitch, tone, volume, and rate.
1. Clarity
Can you be heard and understood?
2. Meaning
Can the listener understand the images and feelings of the poem?
3. Speaking Rate
How fast or slow you speak alters the listener's perception/understanding.
Did you speak too fast? Too slowly?
4. Voice
Too loud? Too soft? Too high? Too Low?