--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe that poems are a score for…" description: "\"I believe that poems are a score for performance by the reader, and that you become the speaking voice. You don't read or overhear the voice in the poe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/helen-vendler-23273_become_i-believe-that-poems-are-a-score-for-per_2290620.png" --- # I believe that poems are a score for performance by the… ![“I believe that poems are a score for performance by the reader, and that you become the speaking voice. You don't read or overhear the voice in the poem - you are the voice in the poem.” quote by Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/helen-vendler-23273_become_i-believe-that-poems-are-a-score-for-per_2290620.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/helen-vendler-23273_become_i-believe-that-poems-are-a-score-for-per_2290620.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/helen-vendler-23273_become_i-believe-that-poems-are-a-score-for-per_2290620.png) > “I believe that poems are a score for performance by the reader, and that you become the speaking voice. You don't read or overhear the voice in the poem - you are the voice in the poem.” [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Poems become a performance where the reader embodies the voice, not just hears it. **In simple terms:** Reading a poem is acting it out. Key Takeaway Become the poem’s voice. Themes interpretation performance voice Mood reflective inspired Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - Literary analysis - creative writing workshops - public readings Key Concepts Reader as performer embodied meaning Questions to Reflect On - How does embodying a poem change its meaning? - What barriers prevent you from becoming its voice? A Different Perspective The reader may lack confidence to fully embody the poem. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Become](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/become/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Poems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-poems-329560/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [I believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-believe/) [I believe that](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-believe-that/) [Overhear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overhear-138340/) [Performance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performance/) [Poem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poem/) [Poem Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poem-voice-254119/) [Poems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poems/) [Poems Score](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poems-score-5381130/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read/) [Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader/) [Reader Speaking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader-speaking-5381131/) [Score](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/score/) [Speaking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speaking/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) [Voice Poem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice-poem-254120/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [You don’t read or overhear the voice in the poem, you are the voice in the poem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/you-don-t-read-or-overhear-the-voice-in-the-poem-you-are-the-voice-in/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [If that voice that you created that is most alive in the poem isn't carried throughout the whole poem, then I destroy where it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-levine/if-that-voice-that-you-created-that-is-most-alive-in-the-poem-isn-t/) [Philip Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-levine/) > [“Steven dreamed of you the very second you died (So the poem goes) and you may have visited him But I'm pretty sure you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-paul-fiorentino/steven-dreamed-of-you-the-very-second-you-died-so-the-poem-goes-and/) [Jon Paul Fiorentino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-paul-fiorentino/) > [“Evere since I was first to read, then started reading to myself, there has never been a line read that I didn't hear. 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The result of a mission by poets Jan Kemp and Jack Ross, they reproduce the poetic voices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ross/the-book-and-the-cds-are-taonga-the-result-of-a-mission-by-poets-jan/) [Jack Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ross/) > [“I believe that poems die the moment they are outwardly expressed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-maeterlinck/i-believe-that-poems-die-the-moment-they-are-outwardly-expressed/) [Maurice Maeterlinck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-maeterlinck/) > [If you want your children to improve, let them overhear the nice things you say about them to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haim-ginott/if-you-want-your-children-to-improve-let-them-overhear-the-nice/) [Haim Ginott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haim-ginott/) > [It's funny: I always, as a high school teacher and particularly as a high school yearbook teacher, because yearbook staffs are 90 percent female,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-thomas/it-s-funny-i-always-as-a-high-school-teacher-and-particularly-as-a/) [Rob Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-thomas/) > [“I can't sleep and the rain is determined not to quit soliloquizing about you all night. I can't help but overhear, my dear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/i-can-t-sleep-and-the-rain-is-determined-not-to-quit-soliloquizing/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > ['What I would give,' I thought, 'to have been present as Elizabeth Keckley measured Mary Lincoln for a new gown, to overhear their conversations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-chiaverini/what-i-would-give-i-thought-to-have-been-present-as-elizabeth-keckley-2/) [Jennifer Chiaverini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-chiaverini/) > [We'd go to the fraternity house. It was a good place to practice. But we really wanted the kids to overhear us. And whoever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-garfunkel/we-d-go-to-the-fraternity-house-it-was-a-good-place-to-practice-but/) [Art Garfunkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-garfunkel/) > [Every time you overhear something hurtful, I want you to do something kind for someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/every-time-you-overhear-something-hurtful-i-want-you-to-do-something/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) ## More by Helen Vendler > [You don’t read or overhear the voice in the poem, you are the voice in the poem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/you-don-t-read-or-overhear-the-voice-in-the-poem-you-are-the-voice-in/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [I wouldn't be very happy if a poet read what I had written and said, 'What a peculiar thing to say about this work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/i-wouldn-t-be-very-happy-if-a-poet-read-what-i-had-written-and-said/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [Each poem leads you to the questions it makes sense to ask it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/each-poem-leads-you-to-the-questions-it-makes-sense-to-ask-it/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [I like art history and art criticism. Leo Steinberg has always been my favorite. He's very original, very accurate and acute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/i-like-art-history-and-art-criticism-leo-steinberg-has-always-been-my/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [I think that a lot of things are hard to read if you're not in the vocabulary flow of that particular discourse. I sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/i-think-that-a-lot-of-things-are-hard-to-read-if-you-re-not-in-the/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [If you like the precision and concision of poetry, a page of prose is unsatisfying in a certain way. And poetry is so direct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/if-you-like-the-precision-and-concision-of-poetry-a-page-of-prose-is/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [I liked teaching Henry James. When you look down at a Henry James novel from a helicopter height, you find an intricate spider web…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/i-liked-teaching-henry-james-when-you-look-down-at-a-henry-james/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [The non-artists among us are always terribly busy, but finally disappear without a trace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/the-non-artists-among-us-are-always-terribly-busy-but-finally/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [I would like to spend more time with Spanish poetry. I know French better than Spanish, but Spanish was my first language, and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/i-would-like-to-spend-more-time-with-spanish-poetry-i-know-french/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [The art of utterance persuades initially by its music and its rhythm, before semiotic or personal characteristics come into play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/the-art-of-utterance-persuades-initially-by-its-music-and-its-rhythm/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [I like art history and art criticism. Leo Steinberg has always been my favorite. Hes very original, very accurate and acute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/i-like-art-history-and-art-criticism-leo-steinberg-has-always-been-my-2/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [Twentieth-century American poetry has been one of the glories of modern literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/twentieth-century-american-poetry-has-been-one-of-the-glories-of/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [I do not give the honorific name of 'poetry' to the primitive and the unaccomplished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/i-do-not-give-the-honorific-name-of-poetry-to-the-primitive-and-the/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [One could say that artists are people who think naturally in highly patterned ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/one-could-say-that-artists-are-people-who-think-naturally-in-highly/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [All good poets of the past, almost without exception, were at least bilingual if not trilingual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/all-good-poets-of-the-past-almost-without-exception-were-at-least/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) [Explore all 26 Helen Vendler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) ## More Become quotes > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. 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