A spoken category in which one older entrant presents three contrasting works, one comic, one dramatic and one tragic, at least one of them in Standard English, to show range of emotion and voice; recorded on the template as a four-minute entry scored out of 100 and offered in all seven classes.
Speech – Poem, Prose and Monologue is the sixty-seventh entry on the Jamaican national performing arts festival template and the twelfth category of its Speech discipline. It follows the stand-up comedy class and leads into the first of the Traditional Folk Forms categories. The festival handbook files it as category 14 of the speech syllabus, with the abbreviation PPM on entry forms. Where most speech classes ask for one or two selections of a single kind, this one is built around range: the entrant has to show the panel that the same voice can be funny, serious and sad in turn.
The handbook states the requirement in two sentences. The entrant presents three compelling works: one comedic, one dramatic and the other tragic, of which one must be in Standard English. The items must show variety and contrast to demonstrate range of emotional and vocal performance. A note under the speech syllabus adds that where it applies, the Standard English selection may be accompanied by another selection of Standard English, Dub Poetry, or a Jamaican or Caribbean composition, and that for Standard English speaking only Oxford Dictionary pronunciations are accepted. The handbook lists this class for Classes 5 and 6 only, which are the 16 to 19 band and the adult band of 20 and over, so it is the one speech class aimed squarely at older, more experienced speakers.
The name tells the entrant what the three works can be. A work may be a poem, a piece of prose, or a monologue, which is a speech delivered by one character, usually taken from a play. The handbook does not fix which of the three forms goes with which mood, so a comic poem, a dramatic monologue and a tragic prose passage is one valid line-up, and three poems or three prose passages is another. What it does fix is the mix of moods. The handbook also says more generally that the right author for each item must be acknowledged, that the entry should make clear whether it is prose or poetry, and that a copy of each selection goes in with the entry form.
On the day the entrant walks on and delivers all three works in one appearance, and the panel marks the whole performance on the four-part table shared across the Speech discipline: voice production, speech, presentation and interpretation. Because the same table covers every speech class, nothing on it is specific to this one; what makes the class different is that the panel is looking for change between the three works. A performer who sounds the same in the comic piece and the tragic piece loses marks on voice and interpretation however clean the diction.
The template records the item as a team entry, both genders together, with English as the language, a four-minute window with the warning bell at three minutes, and a score out of 100, in all seven classes. The handbook describes a solo class for Classes 5 and 6 and prints no running time for this category; the three-minute-per-selection wording on neighbouring classes does not cover it. Three works in four minutes is tight, so an organiser using the template should decide the total time, announce it to entrants before they choose their pieces, change the entry type to individual and limit the classes to 5 and 6 if they want to follow the handbook. Organisers run this class because it rewards range, which a single poem or a single prose reading cannot show.
Where Speech – Poem, Prose and Monologue is run
On eTalenter this item is used in one template, the Jamaican national performing arts festival template, where it is assigned to all seven classes (six age bands from the youngest children to adults aged 20 and over, plus a combined class) in the Speech discipline, after the stand-up comedy class and ahead of the Traditional Folk Forms categories. The handbook itself limits the class to the two oldest age bands, so most organisers following the source will want to restrict it to those. Programmes made up of contrasting works exist in speech and drama festivals elsewhere, but this page covers only the version defined by the Jamaican festival handbook, with its rule of one comic, one dramatic and one tragic work.
- Jamaica (the national performing arts festival the template is built from)
Key facts
- Abbreviation PPM on entry forms; the handbook lists it as category 14 of the speech syllabus, for Classes 5 and 6 only
- Three works: one comedic, one dramatic and one tragic; at least one must be in Standard English, and the three must show variety and contrast in emotional and vocal range
- The Standard English work may be accompanied by another Standard English selection, a Dub Poetry piece, or a Jamaican or Caribbean composition; Standard English is judged against Oxford Dictionary pronunciation only
- No running time is printed for this category in the handbook; the template gives a four-minute window with the warning bell at three minutes, a team entry, both genders, English, scored out of 100, in all seven classes
- Marked on the shared four-part speech table: voice production, speech, presentation and interpretation, weighted 20, 30, 20 and 30 at auditions, 10, 35, 15 and 40 at parish level and 4, 20, 4 and 22 (out of 50) at the national finals
- Ideas, not rules, for a balanced programme: a light comic poem about everyday family life, a dramatic monologue from a play, and a short tragic prose passage about loss. Choose works of similar length so no one piece dominates, and check the three against the rule with the organiser
On eTalenter, Speech – Poem, Prose and Monologue is filed under On Stage and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Speech – Poem, Prose and Monologue is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to around 4 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Speech – Poem, Prose and Monologue
What a Speech – Poem, Prose and Monologue panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- The handbook prints one marking table for the whole Speech discipline, so this class is scored on the same four headings as any other; the points below follow that table and are a summary, not a quotation of the rule
- Voice production: audibility, projection, tone, resonance, colouring, texture and pace, worth 20 at auditions, 10 at parish level and 4 of 50 at the national finals. In this class the panel listens for change. Marks go to the entrant whose voice is lighter and quicker for the comic work, heavier and more restrained for the tragic one and sharply varied for the monologue; they are lost to one who settles into a single pace and tone for all three
- Speech: articulation, enunciation and pronunciation, worth 30, 35 and 20 of 50. The handbook asks for Oxford Dictionary pronunciation in Standard English, so a word said in the wrong way is a mark lost in the Standard English work; for a Jamaican or Caribbean piece the question is clarity, and the handbook gives no further rule, so ask the organiser
- Presentation: costume, stage presence, performance energy, style and visual impact, worth 20, 15 and 4 of 50. The handbook asks for costume that suits the character or situation, in bright and bold colours, avoiding school uniform and black, white and grey unless the script calls for it. With three works the entrant has to change focus, stance and energy between pieces without a long pause
- Interpretation: comprehension, expression, mood and feeling, believability, worth 30, 40 and 22 of 50. This is the heading that decides the class. The panel asks whether each work sounds like what it is, whether the comic piece has real comic timing, whether the dramatic monologue sounds like one character talking, and whether the tragedy is felt without being overacted
- Rule compliance: three works, one comic, one dramatic and one tragic, at least one in Standard English, each author acknowledged, and a copy of each work submitted with the entry. Three pieces in the same mood, or three Jamaican-language pieces with no Standard English one, fail the brief however well they are performed
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Speech – Poem, Prose and Monologue under Scoring Setup, or start from the full recitation & poetry judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Speech – Poem, Prose and Monologue
How entrants and their teachers usually get Speech – Poem, Prose and Monologue right on the day:
- Start from the rule, not from favourite poems. Write down comic, dramatic, tragic and the Standard English requirement, then look for three works that fit the four conditions and are different from each other in speed, sound and subject
- Pick works that are genuinely different. A comic poem about a dispute and a dramatic monologue about a dispute are too close; a comic poem, a monologue from a play and a short tragic prose passage give the panel real contrast
- Choose with your own voice in mind. A piece that needs a very deep or very high voice, or a dialect you cannot hold for several minutes, will cost marks on speech even if the text is perfect
- Learn the text first, then the sound. Know every word cold, then mark each piece for breath, pace, stress and pause. Write down in one line what each piece is about and what feeling it should leave in the room
- Work on the changes between pieces as carefully as on the pieces themselves. Decide how you will step out of one mood and into the next, whether through a breath, a shift in stance or a change of eye line, and rehearse the transition so the panel sees control rather than a pause
- Check Standard English pronunciation against a current dictionary and record yourself reading the Standard English work. Listen for words where you slip into another pronunciation, and fix them before they become habit
- Time all three pieces back to back at performing speed, with the transitions. Agree the allowed total with the organiser before you finalise the programme, and keep a shorter version of one piece ready in case the time is reduced
- Perform the full programme for a listener who has not heard it. Ask which piece was funniest, which was saddest and whether they could tell the three apart with their eyes closed; if the answer is no, the contrast is not in your voice yet
- After a result, ask for the adjudicator comments and note which heading lost marks. If interpretation was low, rework the emotional core of the weakest piece; if speech was low, practise the problem words slowly and then at speed
Ready-made event templates that include Speech – Poem, Prose and Monologue
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| Template | Category | Score label | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| JCDC National Performing Arts Festival (Jamaica) | On Stage | Marks | 7 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Speech – Poem, Prose and Monologue judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Team entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
What must the three works be?
The handbook asks for three compelling works: one comedic, one dramatic and one tragic, of which at least one must be in Standard English. They must show variety and contrast to demonstrate range of emotional and vocal performance. The handbook does not say which works must be poems, prose or monologues, so the mix is the entrant’s choice within those mood rules.
Who can enter this category?
The handbook lists it for Classes 5 and 6 only, the 16 to 19 age band and the adult band of 20 and over, each solo. The template offers it in all seven classes, so an organiser who wants to follow the handbook should restrict the entry to those two classes and set the entry type to individual.
How long is the performance?
The handbook prints no time for this category. The template gives a four-minute window with the warning bell at three minutes, which is short for three works, so the organiser should decide the total time and tell entrants before they choose their pieces.
Is a monologue the same as a poem or a prose reading?
No. A monologue is a speech delivered by one character, usually from a play, and it is performed in character. A poem or a prose passage is spoken as written. The category name allows all three forms, and the handbook’s only requirement on mood and language is the comic, dramatic and tragic mix with one Standard English work.
How is this different from the standard English poems or prose classes?
Those classes ask for one or two selections of a single form in one language group. This class asks for three works that differ in mood and, in the older classes, may mix poem, prose and monologue, so the panel is judging range more than the polish of one piece.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full recitation & poetry judging criteria guide, or browse every on stage competition item.
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