how to read a long poem:
whisper the lines aloud
softly
stop and perhaps reflect
‘oh my God that is perfect’
read the line again for confirmation
I learned this from hearing the poet
David Whyte read:
he stopped and reread the lines for emphasis
but softly
so as not to bang you over the head with it
but to allow you the gift of the moment
to embrace it
to breathe in its essence
to slow down
and
dwell
there with the writer and
comprehend, to hear them speak
to hear them speak
to hear
them
speak
