Oral Interpretation of Literature

A student presents both a poetry or prose selection of their choice.

1. Students have 10 minutes (30 second grace period).
2. An introduction is memorized and not lasting more than 60 seconds.
3. POETRY ROUND—The student has chosen one or several poems all united by a connecting theme; he/she will be reading from a script with an emphasis on interpreting the meaning of each piece.
4. PROSE ROUND—The student has chosen a short story or cutting from prose writing; he/she will be reading from a script with an emphasis on character development and climax in the selection.
5. The student should maintain a balance of eye contact between the script and the audience.