Adrian's Top Five
My Top 5 Poetry Recitations
Hearing a poem, eloquently recited, does something to me. I can read and reread a poem, studying it line by line, but when I hear the words spoken aloud (especially by the author), I awaken and see it afresh. I attune to certain words or figurative language differently when someone stands on a stage reciting verse. And if someone, whether a professional actor or aspiring student-poet, takes the time to memorize a poem, when they recite it in front of others, I get to see the poem through their eyes. It is a beautiful experience. I love it so much, I started a poetry recitation learning experience for my students based on the Poetry Out Loud® recitation competition.
I introduce my students to the art of memorizing a meaningful poem, using Poetry Out Loud’s online anthology of 1,200 classic and contemporary poems and free lesson plans for teachers to use with high school students.1 Last year, my students did an excellent job memorizing and reciting their chosen poems. It was a great exerience!
In reading George Steiner’s essay, The Uncommon Reader, Henry Oliver laments how schools no longer require students to memorize poetry and literary passages. Steiner believes that he “wouldn’t have become a literary person if [he] hadn’t been able to remember words.” As a veteran teacher in American public schools, I can not only confirm this, but add: teachers struggle to motivate students to memorize anything, even their mathematics times tables. At some point in my lifetime, memorization and recitation in public schools fell out of fashion. I agree with Oliver: it breaks my heart.
What is important to me is that it is all in my mind.
George Steiner
Henry Oliver is experimenting with posting “Poetry By Heart” videos. Here he is reciting My true-love hath my heart and I have his by Philip Sidney. In honor of celebrating the love and art of recitations, here are my top five poetry recitations.
5. Dame Judi Dench — Sonnet 29
Dame Judith Dench is a beloved icon of British cinema. At the age of 91, her career spans 70 years. She has performed nearly every female role in Shakespeare’s canon. She is so versed in iambic pentameter, she effortlessly communicates this sonnet’s shift from intense despair to utter joy; all through love. Here, on The Graham Norton Show, she recites Shakespeare’s Sonnet 29 from memory. She is a masterclass on internalizing the meaning of poetry in order to communicate that to the audience.
4. Morgan Freeman — Invictus
Morgan Freeman’s voice is iconic. Included with the late, legendary James Earl Jones, I know of no other actor whose voice takes written words and transforms them into instant veneration. While promoting his role as Nelson Mandela in the movie Invictus, Freeman recites William Ernest Henley’s poem. In 16 lines, Henley brilliantly portrays indestructible strength in the face of extreme hardship. In sixty seconds, Freeman empowers us endure any challenge. How he recites the final two lines is incredible.
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.
3. Michael Sheen — Do not go gentle into that good night
I tell my students that they have not lived until they have heard Dylan Thomas rectite Do not go gentle into that good night. His rich, baritone voice is like an earthquake that demands attention. This is my favorite poem to share with students because it is intense and beautiful and commanding. Michael Sheen’s recitation gives me goosebumps every time I watch it. He doesn’t just break the fourth wall; he stares into my soul. Sheen performed Do not go gentle into that good night at the National Theater of Great Britain on May 14, 20212 in celebration of International Dylan Thomas Day.
2. Sir Ian McKellen — The Strangers’ Case
Stephen Colbert’s interview with Sir Ian McKellan is worth watching in its entirety. I adore McKellan and love listening to him discuss his love of live theater acting. After 22 minutes of delightful conversation, McKellan shares that he first played the role of Sir Thomas More in the 1964 Nottingham Playhouse production of Sir Thomas More. After setting the scene, McKellan launches into a remarkable monologue that is as relevant today as it was when Shakespeare first penned it, criticizing the Evil May Day.
If you want to skip directly to the monologue, you can view it here.
1. Sir Kenneth Branagh — To be, or not to be
I realize that many of you will consider me placing Sir Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet performance in the number one slot as cheating. I don’t care. This may technically be a performance, rather than a recitation, but Hamlet is my favorite of Shakespeare’s plays, Branagh’s film adaptation is a masterpiece, and this monologue is an experience. When I teach Hamlet, this the only adaptation I show my students. The way Branagh stages this scene (using a hall of mirrors), is brilliant. Branagh reflects:
One of the central images I'd wanted to put on film was Hamlet doing 'To be or not to be,' into a mirror. Literally talking to himself but also seeing reflections of himself all over the place. The result of a court where their vanity is reflected, the main set was a huge royal assembly hall, completely lined with two stories of mirrors.
If you want a more authentic live recitation, here is Branagh playing the role of Brunel (Caliban’s speech from Shakespeare’s The Tempest) in the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games. He says that this was the most pressure he has ever experienced as an actor. Imagine reciting a poem live in front of half a billion people!
I would love to see public education bring back the memorization of literary classics. For my part, I continue to have my students memorize poems to recite in front of their peers. While they initially moan and groan, the results are always magnificent.
Have a great week!
— Adrian
What poems have you committed to memory? I am still trying to pick which poem I should memorize for this year’s recitation. Any suggestions? If you are feeling brave, record yourself reciting an endearing poem you have committed to memory.
Resources
If you are interested in reading more about my poetry recitation learning experience, here the post from last year. I also include great poetry resources.
For the 2022 Platinum Jubilee Dame Judi Dench recited Loveliest of trees by A.E. Housman in her garden. Dench is the Ambassador of The Queen’s Green Canopy, a nationwide tree planting initiative created to mark her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. This is a beautiful recitation in a beautiful garden.
Need some help memorizing poetry, Nelson Dellis share his routine for quickly memorizing any poem. So many of my students have no experience trying to memorize anything. To help, I showed parts of this video to my students. Here is Dellis’ How to Memorize Poetry post.
Poetry in Voice is the a Canadian poetry recitation competition for teenagers. The best part of Poetry in Voice is that their programs and projects are written and delivered by renowned Canadian poets who connect contemporary poetry directly with students. All for FREE! Here they offer tips for preparing for a recitation competition.
Harvard English Professor and literary critic Stephanie Burt explains that poetry provides us unique, intimate windows into the minds and experiences of others. Poems capture the essence of being alive. This TED talk may be over 10 years old, but Burt’s message is more important now than ever.
Poetry by Heart is a national poetry speaking competition for schools and colleges in England. They have so many resources for teachers and tips for students. Check out Albie in 2024 recite W.B. Yeats’ The Stolen Child. Wow!
The Benefits of Memorizing Poetry | Edutopia
There are many benefits to memorizing poetry; too many to list. When I have students memorize poetry, they gain a confidence that is unique to this challenge. Even my most struggling readers, spend much time reading and rereading their poem, and when they perform, it is magical to watch. This Edutopia article may focus on high school students, but I find the benefits are the same for all students.
The Case for Memorizing Poetry | The New York Times
Nothing exercises the brain as memorizing poetry. The New York Times believes that this “old-fashioned” practice will help “restore the future of the humanities.”
Why We Should Memorize | The New Yorker
Still not convinced? Brad Leithauser from The New Yorker argues, “The best argument for verse memorization may be that it provides us with knowledge of a qualitatively and physiologically different variety: you take the poem inside you, into your brain chemistry if not your blood, and you know it at a deeper, bodily level than if you simply read it off a screen.” Why not share this gift with students?
How Memorizing Poetry Can Change Your Life | The Washington Post
This article in The Washington Post is especially for those struggling readers. Memorizing poetry is like a meditative practice. James Brogan says, “As you repeat a line or a stanza again and again, signification temporarily gives way to the felt texture of language: its rhythms, pressures, temperatures. These are gestures that say nothing but speak to every part of you.”
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Want some more of Adrian’s Top 5? Check out a few of my archived posts.
Unfortunately, due to the current political climate in the U.S. and it’s upcoming 250th anniversary in 2026, Poetry Out Loud has severely reduced their catalog of poems. Students may only select poems from the Poetry Out Loud America 250 Online Anthology, and only approved versions of poems from the official America 250 Online Anthology (those that celebrate American history and culture) may be used in the competition.
This is the anniversary of the date when Under Milk Wood was first read on stage at 92Y The Poetry Center, New York in 1953.
How fantastic that you do this!