Okay let me tell you that the title of this message is in fact a quote from someone earlier today.

I was taking part in a spoken word competition and there were 7 poets, only two of us knew our poems without referring to our written work. When I got to the mic I was the forth poet to take the mic and a heckler shouted out 'You better know your lines'. Well for me it was off-putting but I did know my words and didn't fluff which made a change, I am usually the first to forget my words often at my detriment.

The poet following me didn't and the heckler started up once more shouting 'Learn your lines dammit'.

This to me has raised an issue, and I'm going to pre-empt certrain views. I know often people don't feel they need to learn their lines or just can't be bothered or whatever, that is fine, it's whatever makes people feel comfortable. I often can't learn my poems, or make the mistake of thinking I know them and fluffing at the mic.

I don't just do poetry, I perform monologues, tell short stories and have even got parts in two plays in the coming year. The point here is this: should it be acceptable to call something 'performance' if the performer hasn't learnt his/her poem?

Hi Martin

A general rule of thumb tends to be: try and at least half-learn your poem, so that you don't need the paper for every single word. Then, you can alternate glances at the page with glances at the audience. Loads of very experienced performers (e.g: Lemn Sissay, John Agard etc) still use their book/paper to support their memory.

Most people agree that the main no-no, though, is to read the poem off the page and still fluff it.

Thanks for your reply, but this wasn't an attempt to get advice, rather it was a serious question. I already have my own methods and style. As wrong as the heckler may have been, he obviously doesn't frequent many poetry events. So it raised a question. Should something be called performance if the poet hasn't learnt his/her work?

Personally, I've never learnt my lines, and I'm not about to. I'm not an actor, never wanted to be an actor, and frankly most of the people who do "learn their lines" haven't got any decent lines to speak anyway.

I which case Steve you haven't seen the multitude of talent around here. In fact I can think of at least two people on this site who's work is fantastic and add to that a local poet from Wirral I know...and those I've never seen, I'd think you obviously don't get out much.

Chris I don't disagree.

When I learn a monologue, the largest part of it for me is getting the presentation correct rather than the word, which I can improvise if I fluff.

I should be clear my previous statement was an attempt to defend a good number of poet who put amazing effort into both writing and performance. Hence the derision I pour on blanket statements like Steve's