Guidelines and Forms

 for the

2007- 2008

 Fayette County School System 

Elementary Recitation Festivals

 

   Revised  August 10, 2007

 

Guidelines for the Recitation Festival

 

Selection of Recitation Piece

 Poems selected for presentation must be published poems that possess historical, cultural, or aesthetic value.  Since poems must also be grade level appropriate, students should be assisted in their selection of a poem for recitation.  All selections must be originally published as poems, not prose.

 A published poem is one that appeared in its original state as a poem -  not as a speech, not as a prose introduction to a novel or historical document and not as a part of a drama or longer poem.  Therefore, recitation of a piece such as a speech by Abraham Lincoln or Martin Luther King, Jr. will not be eligible.  Recitation of a portion of a longer poem or dramatic piece will not be eligible. Thus, a portion of the book of Isaiah or a soliloquy from Hamlet will not be eligible.  Lyrics from an original musical composition will not be eligible.

 Serious consideration should be given to Difficulty of Piece in the selection of a poem.  Most school representatives bring to the system level event clear articulation, sound interpretation, and accuracy in the performance of their selection.  Difficulty of Piece can determine the difference between two beautifully presented pieces.

 Presentation

School representatives should practice performing on a stage without a sound system prior to the system-level contest.  There will be no microphone at the county or RESA level competitions. 

 This event focuses on the recitation - not a dramatic re-enactment or interpretation – of a piece of poetry.  Props and costumes are not allowed and gestures should be used with restraint.

Recitation Festival Suggestions

 

The secret to the effective recitation of a poem is practice. Patience and perseverance will overcome the difficulty of memorization and presentation.  Practice before different audiences to gain confidence and fluency. Practice without notes as soon as possible.  Practice slow delivery and natural movements so that the audience can take the meaning of the words into their hearts and minds.

 *     Stage Presence

¨      Smile.

¨      Let your eyes range over the audience from front to back.

¨      Speak to the back of the room.

¨      Let your voice naturally lift and drop with the cadence of the text.

 *     Articulation

¨      Quality – Tone of voice reveals your feelings about your poem.

¨      Pitch -  Questions and statements require different voice pitch; your voice. gliding up and down adds color and feeling to the recitation.

¨      Force – Intensity of your voice –  let your volume match the mood of the text.

¨      Rate – Vary the rate of recitation with the mood of the text.

¨      Phrasing – Group words into meaningful phrases so that thoughts and images of the poet are best expressed to the audience.

 *     Interpretation

¨      With practice, the meaning of the selection determines what should be emphasized. Develop your own techniques of voice and body that convey what the poem means to you – your own interpretation of what the poet was trying to convey.

¨      Think of your own experiences and use them to communicate what the poem means to you.

 *     Memory/Accuracy

¨      Recite accurately so that the poet’s message is clearly conveyed to the listener.

¨      Practice with a qualified listener; record your recitations to check for accuracy and strengths and weaknesses.

 *     Style

¨      Your natural style will develop with practice. With the confidence that fluency and accuracy bring, you will develop your own, unique winning style.