A poem should be read aloud
whether to one’s self or to a crowd
It’s meaning lies in being heard
and not the shape of every word
Lest it become calligraphy
hung on the wall for all to see
But poems seen do seldom touch
when compared to one read out as such
For intonation, pace and rhyme
are all heard within the poets mind
As pen commits the words to page
the actors banished from the stage
To reappear when words meet sound
and raise the poem from the ground
To sail on high with majesty
extolling sorrow, mirth or glee
Bring forth emotions penned in ink
and take the reader to the brink
To place you there midst poems tale
for to spectate means poets fail
So stand up son and stand up proud
whilst you read these lines out loud
Feel the smile upon your face
or seen on others your voice did grace
For had you kept this to yourself
might just as well have stayed on the shelf
But bringing voice to wiser words
allows its message to be heard
A message know by self or crowd
that poems should be read aloud
Oct 19, 2010
Oct 19, 2010 at 2:30 PM UTC
A poem should be read aloud
whether to one’s self or to a crowd
It’s meaning lies in being heard
and not the shape of every word
Lest it become calligraphy
hung on the wall for all to see
But poems seen do seldom touch
when compared to one read out as such
For intonation, pace and rhyme
are all heard within the poets mind
As pen commits the words to page
the actors banished from the stage
To reappear when words meet sound
and raise the poem from the ground
To sail on high with majesty
extolling sorrow, mirth or glee
Bring forth emotions penned in ink
and take the reader to the brink
To place you there midst poems tale
for to spectate means poets fail
So stand up son and stand up proud
whilst you read these lines out loud
Feel the smile upon your face
or seen on others your voice did grace
For had you kept this to yourself
might just as well have stayed on the shelf
But bringing voice to wiser words
allows its message to be heard
A message know by self or crowd
that poems should be read aloud
In my mind poetry is more akin to music than any other art form. When read in note form on a page its impossible to fully appreciate a piece of music, likewise a poem only really comes to life when read out loud.
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