POL Performance

I watched the performances of Tiffany Hill, (reciting “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth) and Stanley Jackson, (reciting “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar.) The performance that stood out the most to me was by Stanley Jackson. Yes, it was interesting how Tiffany recited hers in sign language, but you couldn't get any emotion from it. Stanley showed true understanding of his poem. He paused, raised his voice, and used gestures all accordingly. You could most definately get a feeling from hearing him speak, and it was pretty spectacular. And his physical presance showed no nervousness at all... except for the fact he was stiff as a board. I don't know if that was part of his performance, but it stood out to me.

The poem was obviously about slavery. And how lawrence used the metaphor of a caged bird to emphasise the feeling of being a slave. Not being able to go onto a world beyond you, not able to show any importance. Stanley raised and lowered his voice at all the right parts, but he was still strong. It was almost as if he was the slave, even though it's been illegal before he was even born.