After another round of lifeless student presentations, I was brainstorming the difficulty students face during this activity (presenting) that draws on so many simultaneous, yet unfamiliar, skill sets for college students. How might it be possible to separate and develop some of these skills and in what combination, and then build upon that base layer? An answer emerged as I listened to the audiobook, The Best Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (Kennedy, 2001). As I listened to the poems, I realized that (a) the content of the presentation was created by the poet, not by the reciter; (b) the reciter had to understand the poem in order to deliver it effectively; (c) poetic language was compact, designed to be heard, and delivered with care; and (d) all the tools of vocal declamation were needed for effective recitation. A poetry recitation assignment for business students grew from these discoveries.
