Found poetry #2

Here are some tips on reciting found poetry. Much found poetry is only truly found once it is recited. Remember, you are harking back to ancient times, when learning took place by listening and speaking. The blood of the bard runs through your veins....

Start with some un-found poetry. Made up poems. Try Dylan Thomas. Now then, please in your best Richard Burton voice:

Do not go gently into the dark night,
but rage! rage against the dying of the light!

or the gorgeous 'new rhythm' of Hopkins:

The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatmess, like the ooze of oil
Crushed.

Here are two poems found in song lyrics. Both of them are all in the reciting. The first one comprises most of the lyric of a rap song. It should be spoken as if you are reading Dr Seuss to a child, or maybe presenting a children's play. Use your brightest, enthusiastic voice and cock your head to one side. Go for a sort of maxed out perky:

This is why
this is why
this is why

I'm hot!

I'm hot
'cos I'm fly
you ain't
'cos you're not

This is why
this is why
this is why

I'm hot!!

OK, the next one is lyrics by Marilyn Manson and it needs to be recited in serious, credible tones as if reading the news on public radio:

You can't see the wood
for the trees.
You can't smell the shit
when you're on your knees.

The beautiful people
the beautiful people
the beautiful people.

i think Marilyn (whose actual name is Brian Turner, and Brian Turner is a well known New Zealand poet. Ha!) anyway i think Marilyn would approve and maybe so would Brian.

Found poetry No. 1

A good method of finding poetry is to start with google's home page and type in half a common sentence. This throws up common searches. It generates enough randomness to be amusing and also enough content you can make sense of. These change over time, depending on what people have searched for recently. Some are song lyrics, and some you may recognize from famous speeches. Try it. Minutes of fun for you and your fellow cubicle dwellers!

Here are the best two:

Type in 'It is not' and you get:

It is not the critic who counts
It is not good for man to be alone
It is not death to die
It is not meant to be tame impala
It is not our darkness that we fear
It is not the benevolence of the butcher
It is not in heaven
It is not illegal to be illegal in Massachusetts
It is not a tumour.

And try this one, slightly less lyrical but no less cryptic, by typing in 'It is':

It is well with my soul
It is what is
It is written
It is 416 kilometres west of Sydney
It written Oceania
It is people it is people it is people
It is not OK
It is finished.

Next time i will discuss timbre, metre and voice in reciting found poetry.