Arts and culture
Grade 7
Expression and communication
Module 6
Drama: praise poetry
DRAMA
Activities for the learner
Activity 1:
To research and present an example of praise poetry: praise
[lo 4.2]
PRAISE
Last term we encountered poetry in the form of choral verse. This term we are going to explore praise poetry.
What is praise?
- Praise is the act of expressing commendation and admiration.
- Praise is the rendering of homage and gratitude to a deity.
- Praise is to commend someone highly.
- Praise is to proclaim the glorious attributes of someone or a deity with homage or thanksgiving.
Who can we praise?
- Our God or gods
- Our mother or father
- Our best friend
- Our boyfriend or girlfriend
- Our educator
- Our principle
- Our president
- Our country
- Nature
- Our favourite sports team or star
- Our pop idol
Can you think of anyone you would like to praise?
Is writing or reciting a love poem praise poetry?
Your educator will give you a brief background on praise poetry before you attempt the following exercises.
If you do not understand something please ask your educator.
Exercise 1: research
Research and present the following to the class:
- the history or background of praise and oral poetry;
- at least one praise or oral poet, his or her works and background;
- where and how praise poetry is presented;
- in what way it has influenced South Africa today.
The presentation can consist of the following:
- oral presentation;
- written presentation;
- audiovisual presentation.
Note: one of the above-mentioned, or all three can be used for the presentation
- pictures
- research
- resources
- video
- recordings (CD, tape)
E xercise 2: warm-up
- before you can proceed to the other exercise you have to participate in a proper warm-up routine in order for you to prepare your voice and body
The warm-up
Relaxation and posture
- Stand with your feet slightly apart and slump forward as you stand.
- Feel your stomach slacken, chest cave in and head fall on your chest.
- Over a slow count of ten feel yourself growing.
- The rib cage should lift away from the pelvis and the head rise to a poised position on the shoulders.
- Repeat four times.
- Raise your shoulders towards your ears.
- Screw up your face.
- Relax your face quickly, as if you have taken a mask off, until you feel all the wrinkles gone from the forehead and the muscles in your face feel free of tension.
- Let your shoulders drop so that your arms hang easily by your sides.
- Repeat four times.
Breathing
- Place the back of your hands on your lower ribs and breathe in through your nose and gently out through your mouth.
- Repeat eight times.
Note: do not take a lot of breath, just concentrate on feeling the movement of the ribs
- Breathe in on the ribs and gently count to ten on a whisper
- Feel that the whisper is just as strong at the count of nine and ten as it was at the count of one
- Repeat eight times
Note: don’t let all the breath go at once.
- Breathe in on the ribs and as you do so raise your arms sideways until they are above your head.
- Note: there should be a slight sense of reaching for something above you, without tension in the shoulders and throat.
- Pant gently, like a dog, feeling the movement of the diaphragm.
- Pant in and out five times.
- Then breathe out smoothly, using the air from the ribs, as you lower your arms to your sides.
- Repeat eight times.