I just hate when people use that sing-songy “poetry-reading voice”. It gets in your head and applies itself to other poems. Sometimes it takes an effort to avoid reading everything that way.

I suspect you have heard some bad poetry. Have you read this one? My favourite. I won’t be offended though if it doesn’t do it for you. http://www.bartleby.com/198/1.html

I’ll have to say that wasn’t bad. I particularly enjoyed this verse…

For I have known them all already, known them all:
Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons,
I have measured out my life with coffee spoons;
I know the voices dying with a dying fall
Beneath the music from a farther room.
  So how should I presume?

I suspect it’s more the reading of bad poetry that I’m not a fan of.

So much that! ☕️

The blink tag! 😂🤣😆

And a spinny coffee cup! 😉

OMG I didn’t notice that until now. Be sure to add an “under construction” gif to your site, along with an animated envelope for email.

See also… http://bestanimations.com/Site/Email/Email.html

Wow. I don’t miss 1995.

Keamoose: Thankies for T.S. It’s a favorite of mine too.

When I read my poetry aloud I did it in defiance of “the poetry voice”. I think I know what you guys mean. I hope I don’t do that. I read it pretty fast, maybe even faster than I talk, but I’d be the last to know if I’m guilty.

Your poetries and writings are good though and what you read aloud to me, you were totally in character. The pieces had life and depth and rhythm.

I think what was missing from the poetry readers I unfortunately heard on Sunday night was craftsmanship and confidence. The last speaker/reader lady spent a minute and a half backstorying the poem she was going to recite from memory. When she did recite, at last, said poetry poem was 12 words long. She spent all this time setting up and selling her poem and then I was like, “oh, that’s it?” I’m assuming she was nervous so she wanted to prop up her work a little bit or something.

I surmisedly suppose I shouldn’t have mildly raged against all poetry because there are good writers and readers both. And getting up in front of a crowd is a good way to hone one’s craft.

Side note: when I typed the first two words autocorrected fixed them to, “You’re potty”

Twelve fucking words?! Yeah, I’ve heard worse. I knew a guy who read at readings for about 5 years on what was little more than a Haiku. He’s what’s wrong.
I used to try to write little stories because I was so impatient with the craft of fiction.

…i tol’ my cousin i was gonna git me one of them dogs what’ll whisper secrets to ya ‘bout the mailman….