Listen to poem:
Monotonal
Listening to a poem recited
in your head as you read it
can become a monotonal drone,
lacking verve, color, context and texture.
So much better to hear it read aloud to you
especially by the author themselves
who can add the inflections, emphasis
and timing, so underdone by punctuation and layout.
Poetry has five voices:
First is the voice of the poet
talking to himself – or to nobody.
Second is the voice of the sound of the words
diphthoning, rhyming, clanging and reverberating
in the poet's head, as a muse hopelessly in love with words.
Third is the voice of the reader
voicing the poem in their head as they read it.
With the words triggering gongs, chimes and memories
perhaps beyond the words themselves and reactions
as the poet intended.
Fourth is the voice of the poet
reciting the poem to an audience,
with all the intended timing,
emphasis, context, meaning and cadence.
Fifth is the voice of a professional reciter
who brings true melody, rhyme, emotions and resonance
to the poem beyond the limitations
of the poets' voice and expression.
The first poems were voiced recitals, passed on as songs, haiku, chants and legends.
Only, later, much later, were poems written down and published.
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