How to Prepare a Twenty Minute Poetry Reading

Posted on 2023-08-07 by Bartholomew Barker

The Eno River Poetry Festival was one of the highlights of my poetic life.

I don’t often get asked to read my poetry to strangers for twenty minutes. Most open mics have a five minute time limit, which I appreciate because not all poets are good readers. So I put a lot of work into my twenty minute set.

I did at least four complete rehearsals, with a stopwatch, over the course of the Friday evening and Saturday morning before the festival. Fortunately, smartphones have built in stopwatches but I could have also used the one on my computer. I should’ve started my preparations much earlier but I had other meetings and a workshop that week. Poetry is a harsh mistress.

After each rehearsal I would rearrange the order in which I read my poems so they flowed together better and I had to make cuts as well. I think my first rehearsal timed out at over thirty minutes. That meant I had to kill several of my darlings but it resulted in a tighter set.

My idea was to have themed subsets. I did three political poems together. I read three poems from Milkshakes and Chilidogs together. I did death poems together and astronomy poems together.

I also rehearsed the between-poem patter. For poetry, I think it’s important to give the audience a chance to breathe between poems. My goal is to make what I say between poems seem like it’s ad-libbed when it is anything but and I included it in the rehearsals so I knew exactly how long it would take.

And at the festival I got to read to a wonderful audience of strangers. Only a handful of them knew me before I started my set. I estimate I read to between forty and fifty people which exceeded my expectations greatly. I will admit to some nerves as I approached the podium but those jitters dissipated as I got going, thanks the rehearsals. The audience maintained eye contact, laughed in all the right places and I sold three books!

All the preparation paid off.

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About Bartholomew Barker

Bartholomew Barker is an organizer of Living Poetry, a collection of poets in the Triangle region of North Carolina where he has hosted a monthly feedback workshop for more than decade. His first poetry collection, Wednesday Night Regular, written in and about strip clubs, was published in 2013. His second, Milkshakes and Chilidogs, a chapbook of food inspired poetry was served in 2017. He was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2021. Born and raised in Ohio, studied in Chicago, he worked in Connecticut for nearly twenty years before moving to Hillsborough where he lives and writes poetry.
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39 Responses to How to Prepare a Twenty Minute Poetry Reading

  1. equipsblog's avatar equipsblog says:
    2023-08-07 at 20:57

    Congratulations. Interesting to read about your prep.

    Liked by 1 person

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  2. Sarah E Barker's avatar Sarah E Barker says:
    2023-08-07 at 21:12

    Good Job!!!

    Liked by 1 person

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  3. Carolyn Crossley VixenOfVerse's avatar Carolyn Crossley VixenOfVerse says:
    2023-08-07 at 21:51

    It is amazing how many people, poets included think it is easy to read your poetry out loud to lots of strangers but as you have proved by your meticulous preparation it is anything but. You have to time yourself so you don’t over or under run. I used to be able to learn my poems off by heart but find that impossible these days. I always carried a collapsible metal music stand with me in case there was no lecturn ( so many places didn’t have one.) I also learned to project my voice for when microphones didn’t work. That happened a lot in libraries! I used to be quite theatrical in my performances. Nowadays my health isn’t up to the traipsing around, but I loved performing my poetry rather than just reading it.
    I am really pleased it all went well and to sell 3 books is marvelous. ❌❤️❌

    Liked by 2 people

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  4. Kirsten Curcio's avatar Kirsten Curcio says:
    2023-08-07 at 22:12

    Congratulations to a successful poetry reading! That’s awesome. 🤗

    Liked by 1 person

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  5. Cassa Bassa's avatar Cassa Bassa says:
    2023-08-07 at 23:14

    It’s interesting to read the preparation and thoughts you put into it. And no surprises it rendered great response. 👏👍💚

    Liked by 2 people

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  6. Michele Lee's avatar Michele Lee says:
    2023-08-07 at 23:20

    Good for you! Planning and execution. 👏🏻

    Liked by 1 person

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  7. Kritika Maheshwari's avatar that bird says:
    2023-08-08 at 05:07

    Congratulations! This looks great.

    Liked by 1 person

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  8. laurastamps's avatar laurastamps says:
    2023-08-08 at 05:18

    I love this!!! Wonderful to hear what a poet goes through before a reading. The audience often has no idea the prep that goes before a reading or booksigning. And it’s a LOT. Lol!! Congratulations on your success and book sales!! Well deserved!! 💗

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  9. JeanMarie's avatar JeanMarie says:
    2023-08-08 at 05:44

    I can only echo what others have said here. The prep you did is illuminating. You are right. Not all poets are good readers. I also like the way you crafted your set. I’ll have to keep that in mind in case I ever get to be a big shot poet. Well done B.

    Liked by 1 person

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  11. Morrow Dowdle's avatar Morrow Dowdle says:
    2023-08-08 at 10:08

    What great advice for poets emerging into the performance space. Your set was fantastic and audience feedback was very positive! It was a highlight for me seeing you perform!

    Liked by 1 person

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  12. Annabel's avatar Annabel says:
    2023-08-08 at 21:52

    Bravo to your successful poetry recital! I’m sure the audience were immensely charmed!🥂

    Liked by 2 people

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  13. Kitten Lada's avatar Kitten Lada says:
    2023-08-15 at 13:51

    I feel nervous just reading and seeing you at the podium but I believe that’s just excitement as you’ve inspired me to read my writing at an open mic as well…

    Liked by 2 people

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  14. DanielleM's avatar DanielleM says:
    2023-08-28 at 20:37

    Great tips.

    Liked by 1 person

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  15. wholelottarosie's avatar wholelottarosie says:
    2023-09-02 at 11:22

    I like going to readings. We have a bookstore that regularly invites authors to read from their books. These are sometimes novels, sometimes travelogues, sometimes lyric. I think this is a wonderful opportunity for the listener to meet new authors. I congratulate you on your great success!!
    Greetings from the beautiful Rhine-Highlands / Germany….
    Rosie

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    • Bartholomew Barker's avatar Bartholomew Barker says:
      2023-09-02 at 14:46

      Danke, Rosie! It is fun to go to readings though a lot of fiction writers aren’t very good at performing. It’s much more difficult than poetry!

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      • wholelottarosie's avatar wholelottarosie says:
        2023-09-02 at 16:54

        Bartholomew, I agree with you. I think that in many novels I miss the special atmosphere, a mood that draws me in and that runs through all the scenes. But that is also the case with some poems. I would like to be taken by the poet into his world.
        Greetings….Rosie from Germany

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