Poetry Out Loud

Part One:
1. Zoom! by Simon Armitage
2. Mezzo Cammin by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
3. Author’s Prayer by Ilya Kaminsky
4. Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley
    Keeping Things Whole by Mark Strand
Part Two:
My favorite poems above are Ozymandias, Keeping Things Whole, and Author's Prayer. I like these poems because the poems seem simplistic, but the meanings are more profound.
The poem I truly did not like was Zoom! I didn't like the 'flow' of it, and it seems like the different subjects in it don't go well together.
I think that I would choose the poem Keeping Things Whole, it is the one that I think most intrigued by.
I would choose this poem because it inderectly is sending a theme of wholeness rather than fragmentation. Strand indirectly is asking humans to make whole what we separate in nature, which I think is important.

Part Three:
I think that the two easiest criteria for me will be my level of understanding, and voice/articulation. I seem to have a grasp on the theme of the poem, so I think that's why I will score high on my level of understanding. I can pronounce all of the words in the poem well, and I can keep good pace, so that shouldn't be a problem.
I think that the two criteria I will have a tougher time with are the level of difficulty and dramatic appropriatness. The poem isn't too complex, and I think I use my hands too much when I talk.

Part Four:
I first watched Writ on the Steps of Puerto Rican Harlem by Gregory Corso, performed by Andrew Jackson. What made his performance good was his flow, his use of dramatic pauses, and slight gestures.
I then proceeded to watch Forgetfulness by Billy Collins, performed by Jackson Hille. What made this performance good was how he conveyed the message of the poem through the almost sarcastic tone in his voice, it really helped to give the satirical tone.

Part Five:

I think Poetry Out Loud will be fun for many people. I don't like speaking in front of people very much, so that will be a challenge for me to overcome. I think that I will memorize either Ozymandias, or Keeping Things Simple. Both of these seem profound and I like what the themes of them.