Poetry and prose lend themselves to oral interpretations. Decide if you are using single poems or prose excerpts, or a collection of either of them for your speech. Ensuring a sound knowledge of the background of the text and its author helps when portraying a character or situation from your chosen text. Forbidding the use of props and costumes means that a speaker must rely on verbal and non-verbal presentation skills, eliciting a response from the audience about the author's intentions. Whether you choose poetry or prose, your aim is to use your speech to illustrate a point.
Another literary form worth considering for speech interpretations is a cutting or section from a play. Shakespeare's story lines and memorable characters provide good inspiration for a dramatic oral interpretation. Carefully choosing your excerpt allows a focus on language and literary devices, helping you capture a sense of energy to engage the audience. However, consider using the work of other respected playwrights whose themes or ideas would work well.
Whether you choose a play, poetry or prose as your chosen text to interpret, consider which emotion you want to convey to the audience. Once you have chosen a text, ask yourself several questions about your character or situation that will help you deliver your speech effectively. A humorous interpretive speech captures a sense of comedy and amuses the audience. A serious speech maintains a somber mood throughout. The nature of your chosen literature determines the mood of your speech.
Duo interpretation requires a compelling rendition of either a serious or humorous text featuring at least two characters. Each person creates a persona by reacting to the other character in the performance. The duo speech interpretation forbids the characters to physically touch and movement should be limited. Each performer responds to the other's verbal and non-verbal expressions, ensuring that there is a balance in contribution. Bring your speech to life by using facial expression, intonation and gesture.