Performances of Great Poetry
from Around the World
for Television, Videostreams, and Web casts

Dr. Diane Howard


In order to deliver a poem effectively, a presenter must first understand what the poet
is conveying in the work. The artist must recognize the literary devices in the piece.
The performer must know the emotions behind each line. The following poems have been 
delivered by the performers with sense, sound, and soul.

Dr. Howard and UMHB Performance Studies Students/Alumni have performed great poetry,
presented techniques in poetry performance, and instructed/critiqued poetry presenters via
television, videoconferencing, videostreaming, and webcasting for Texas Nafas, BellNet, TISD,
and the Apple Learning Interchange.

(For other multi-cultural, global performances of literature and history, see the following lists and links.
Ethnic Programs , Equal Opportunity Programs ,
Performances of Autobiography and Literature, Performance/Communication Programs )

 African
I eared by Phedi Tlhobolo performed by Okechukwu Iwundu

African American
 Angelou, Maya
Collection of Poems performed by Sheraton McCarter Duffey
Poetry of Maya Angelou performed by Megan Moore
Still I Rise and other poems  performed by Christine Pointer
Weekend Glory performed by Tamara Harris

Brooks, Gwendolyn
Collection of Poems performed by Melissa Gonzales 

Giovanni, Nikki
Balances performed by Kristeya Price
Love Is  performed by Carrie Kelley

  The Slave’s Complaint by George Horton performed by Will Johnson
 
 Hughes, Langston
Collection of Poems performed by Sterling Stewart
Children Rhymes performed by Lisa Banks
Daybreak in Alabama, video, performed by Kevin Guyden
A Dream Deferred  performed by Lisa Banks
The Cross performed by Shannon Robinson
Cultural Exchange by Ryan Mosley
Life is Fine  performed by Lorenzo Morgan
Negro  performed by Christine Pointer
The Negro Speaks of Rivers performed by Lennard Ball
The Negro Speaks of Rivers performed by Joseph Warren
  Night Funeral in Harlem performed by Lejon L. Wright Sr.
Let America Be America Again performed by Brandon Fulcher

 The Creation by James Weldon, video, performed by Dee Hughes

Her Story by Naomi Long Madgett performed by Angelique Myers

 Ballad of Birmingham  by Dudley Randall performed by Christine Pointer

 What If I am A Woman by Claudette Elaine Sims performed by Carlotta Russell Maneice

 On Being Brought to America by Phyllis Wheatley performed by Carlotta Russell Maneice


American
Coming Home by Roger Bradford performed by Suzanne White

Ocean by Isabelle Burke performed by Christy Edwards

The Asylum by MD Burke performed by Ginny Byrd

Gertrude of Wyoming by Thomas Campbell  performed by Matthew Irvine

 Dickinson, Emily
Afraid! Of whom am I afraid? performed by Alisha Osborn
I Never Heard the Word Escape performed by Amy Vessels
If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking performed by Cynthia Thibodeau
That I Did Always Love performed by Emily Kidwell  
 It Struck Me Every Day performed by Robyn Hynes
We Never Knew How High We Are,  by Candace Cross

Estep, Maggie
 An Emotional Idiot performed by Monica Alexander

Frost, Robert
  Fire and Ice by Kyle Ledbetter
The Lockless Door performed by Beth Prater
A Prayer in Spring performed by Alma Shirtum
The Road Not Taken performed by Jane Polach
Stars performed by Chase Williams

 Unspoken by Dana Gioia performed by Melissa McAdams
 
Reflection on the Viet Nam War Memorial by Jeffery Harrison performed by Melinda Lovorn

 Star-Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key performed in American Sign Language by Brooke Bennett

Light Of Stars by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow performed by Eric Clawsen

Soldier by Ben Phoenix performed by Marshall Reeves

Plath, Sylvia
Bitter Strawberries  performed by Jessica Stockel
 Mirror performed by Cassie Threadgill

Poe, Edgar Allen
The Bells by Edgar Allen Poe performed by Charles Turner
Annabel Lee, video, performed by Jenise Smith


I Am Not Yours by Sarah Teasdale performed by Rhonda Bailey
I Am Not Yours by Sarah Teasdale performed by Krystle Danuz


Thayer, Ernest
Casey at the Bat performed by Chad Hampton
Casey at the Bat performed by Megan Lee

America for Me by Henry Van Dyke performed by Kathy Olin  

My Creed by Howard Arnold Walter performed by Sarah Snyder Snodgrass

American Indian
I am He by Robert Ellis performed by Nicole Young


 Biblical, Jewish, Christian
Job 6 performed by Colette Chadwell
 If I Forget Jerusalem by Yehuda Amichi  performed by Amy Lunde
Isaiah 53 performed by Sarah Durham
The Prayer of St. Patrick attributed to St. Patrick performed by Chad Crawford
Psalm 27  performed by Lacey Thomas
Psalm 63 performed by Cynthia Brehm
Psalm 67 performed by Jamie Parker
Psalms performed by Raychelle Presley


British
 Poverty Knock by an anonymous author performed by Mark Arrazola

Blake, William
The Chimney Sweeper performed by Jessica Leonard
The Lamb performed by Robert Copeland
Love's Secret performed by Stephen Milillo
On Another's Sorrow performed by Ronnie McAdams
Songs of Experience performed by Josh Gwyn
Songs of Innocence, Songs of Experience performed by Jennifer Lovell
 The Sunflower, video, performed by  Amy Lowman
The Tyger performed by Jimmy Torres
To the Evening Star performed by Eric Clawson


Browning, Elizabeth Barrett
How do I Love Thee performed by Jenny Ewton
 My Kate performed by Christie Curtis
 Portuguese Love Sonnet  performed by Lauren Chamberlain


 Meeting at Night & Parting at Morning  by  Robert Browning   performed by Megan Robertson


To a Louse by  Robert Burns performed by Robyn Renfroe


Coleridge, Samuel Taylor
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner  performed by Andrew Rey
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner performed by Jeremy Thompson
Eliot, T.S.
Gus the Theatre Cat from Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats performed by Day Lusby
The Wastelands performed by Julie Kendig


           Hopkins, Gerard Manley
As Kingfishers Catch Fire by Gerard Manley Hopkins performed by Mary Susan McGarr
God's Grandeur, video, performed by Rebekah Powell

Revenge by Letitia Elizabeth Landon  performed by Jennifer Ellis


The Owl and the Pussy Cat by Edward Lear performed by Stacy Regian
 

Milton, John
On the Late Massacre at Piedmont  performed by Ryan Busby
At Solemn Music performed by Aaron Rosberg
 

Arnold Winkelried by James Montgomery performed by Benjamin Tindall

To Sleep by John Keats performed by Amanda Dickinson

The Prayer of St. Patrick  attributed to St. Patrick  performed by Chad Crawford

Dulce Et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen performed by Peter McBride


 Rossetti, Christina
The First Day performed by Rachel Tomasek
 A Christmas Carol performed by Tyna Hammond
A Daughter of Eve  performed by Sarah Ray
Goblin Market performed by Jennifer Strickland
 

Hymns of Pan by Percy Shelley performed by Sri Fulton

Shakespeare, William
Sonnet CXVI - Jessica Roush
Portia from the Merchant of Venice performed by Robin Wheeler

In Memoriam by Alfred Lord Tennyson performed by Jenna Artus


Wordsworth, William
Daffodils performed by Stacy Fannin

Yeats, William Butler
Coole Park and Ballylee performed by James Chapman
The Sorrow of Love performed by Josh Jones
 When You are Old performed by Jerica Sowers
 The Wild Swans at Coole performed by Kyle Tubbs


Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night by Dylan Thomas performed by James Love


 Lost (In a Celtic dialect) – A Traditional Celtic Poem performed by Liz Unger

Canadian
 Variations on the Word Love by Margaret Atwood performed by Sara Barnes


 Chinese
Chinese Poetry- performed by Stacia Yu in Chinese & English
Thoughts on a Still Night by Li Bai performed by Janice Whited  (in Chinese and English)
 Unsteady is that cypress boat by Shih Ching performed by Deanna Johnston

Filipino
Love is a Two-Way Street performed by Ashley Goodin

French
 Qui Quoi by Michel Deguy performed by Donya Fagan (in English and French) 

German
Der Panther (The Panther in English and German) by Rainer Maria von Rilke, Translator -Martin Greenberg, performed by Justin Golden

Greek
Ithaca by Constantin Cavafy performed by Michael Peterson


 Hispanic
 Song to the Most Holy Name of Jesus by Fernanado de Cordova y Bocanegra performed by Brittany Edwards

The Delicate Rose by Sor Juana Inez De La Cruz  performed by Sandra Rodriquez

I Am Not Alone by Gabriela Mistral, video, performed by Cindy Hardwick in English and Spanish


Neruda, Pablo  
Keeping Quiet performed by Diane Myers
Me gusta cuando callas performed by Yasmin Blackwood

Paz, Octavio
The Balcony by performed by Natalia Trejo
No More Cliches performed by Aaron Castillo

Day of the Refugios by Alberto Rios performed by Brisa Ruiz 

  I Am a Product by Ben Weinmen  performed  (in Spanish and English) by Jeff Contreras

Love is a Two-Way Street by Randy Villanueva performed by Ashley Goodin

Italian
 An Italian Evening by Davide Rondoni  performed by Kimberly Stone

Japanese
 Japanese poetry performed by Shuntaro Yanasaki

 Basho Matsuo
  Collection performed by Kazunori Yamaguchi
 A Crow on a Withered Branch (in Japanese and English) performed by Breanna Sherbert


Korean
Years from Now by Kim Sowol performed by Angela Espada


Persian
Ruba ' ie #12 by Rumi performed by Layla Kalati


Polish 
 The Soul by Adam Zagajewski performed by Josh Kubiak

Russian
 To My Osya by Bella Dizhur performed by Katlyn Flanagin


 

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