Classic judging criteria

Judging criteria: Poetry by Heart is a poetry recitation competition rather than a drama competition.  Entrants are invited to talk the poems rather than to give a theatrical performance. Children choose two poems from the Poetry By Heart website – www.poetrybyheart.org.uk,  one must be published before 1914, and one must be published in or after 1914. 

The four categories are Voice, Understanding, Performance and Accuracy. 

Voice 

In a strong recitation, all the words are pronounced appropriately in the young person’s natural accent and the volume, rhythm, speed and stress on different phrases all contribute to the overall effect.

Understanding 

Do you think the young person understands the words they are speaking and the overall mood and meaning of the poem? When a young person has truly understood a poem, their recitation will clearly and powerfully communicate the meaning to the audience.

The young person will talk the poem, relying on the words themselves, and their arrangement on the page in the unique way the poet has expressed her or himself. Talking the poem in this way in their natural accent, there will be no need to exaggerate the words by distracting dramatic gestures, singing or exaggerated emotions (although some poem choices will have scope for a more dramatic delivery than others).

Performance  

This category considers the overall success of the recitation. Has the recitation honoured the poem by captivating the audience with its language and meaning? Did the young person appear confident, seek eye-contact with the audience and use appropriate body language?

Accuracy   

This is a technical assessment of the recitation, eg. a word-perfect recitation; a small number of errors which do not affect the meaning and smooth-flowing of the poem.