Recitation - Prose Competition: What It Is, Where It's Run and How It's Judged

One speaker delivers a short passage of prose from memory, judged on clarity, expression and how well the meaning is carried within a strict time limit.

Recitation - Prose asks one speaker to present a short passage of prose, such as an extract from a story, a letter or a piece of descriptive writing, from memory. Unlike verse speaking there is no rhyme or metre to lean on, so the speaker has to find the rhythm of the sentences and make the meaning plain to a listener who has never heard the passage before.

In the Queensland, Australia junior eisteddfod speech-and-drama section that carries it in eTalenter's data, the item is a solo class open to boys and girls together, performed in English. The syllabus sets two time limits: one and a half minutes for entrants aged twelve and under, and two minutes for those aged thirteen and over. Each class is its own competition with its own ranking, and the nominal score is one mark out of ten.

A round is short. Speakers are called in running order, announce the title and author if the syllabus asks for it, recite, and sit down. The adjudicator listens to the whole passage and awards a mark with brief written comments. Because the time limit is tight, the choice of passage and the cut made to fit it matter almost as much as the delivery.

Organisers run the item because it needs no stage equipment, suits a crowded timetable, and trains memory, diction and expression in a form that sits naturally beside verse speaking, public speaking and solo drama classes in the same speech section.

Where Recitation - Prose is run

In eTalenter's data this item appears in one template, a junior eisteddfod speech-and-drama section in Queensland, Australia. Prose recitation or prose speaking classes are a common part of speech festivals in Australia, the United Kingdom and elsewhere, but age bands, time limits and whether the piece is memorised vary by event, so always read the syllabus of the festival you are entering.

• Australia - Queensland (junior eisteddfod speech and drama)

Key facts

• Individual entry; boys and girls compete together within each age class.
• Performed from memory, in English.
• Time limit: 1.5 minutes for ages twelve and under, 2 minutes for ages thirteen and over.
• Nominal score is one mark out of 10; the template prints no criterion breakdown.
• Different from Public Speaking (the speaker's own words) and from Solo Drama (a staged character piece): here the author's words are delivered faithfully.
• Idea starters, not rules: a short descriptive passage about weather or a market, a funny extract of a child's narration, or the opening paragraph of a favourite adventure story.

On eTalenter, Recitation - Prose is filed under Literary 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, Recitation - Prose is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 10, commonly time-limited to 1–2 minutes where a limit is set.

What judges look at in Recitation - Prose

What a Recitation - Prose panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:

• Accuracy and memory: the passage is delivered securely, with no prompting, dried-up pauses or invented words.
• Clarity and diction: every word reaches the back of the room, with consonants sharp and endings not swallowed.
• Expression and meaning: the speaker shows they understand the passage, stressing the right words and changing tone as the writing changes.
• Pace and pausing: phrasing follows the punctuation and sense, with pauses used deliberately rather than rushing to the end.
• Choice of passage and timing: a piece suited to the speaker's age that finishes inside the class limit with a clear, confident ending.

Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Recitation - Prose under Scoring Setup, or start from the judge scoring and tabulation guide.

How to prepare for Recitation - Prose

How entrants and their teachers usually get Recitation - Prose right on the day:

• Choose a passage with a clear mood or small story, then cut it so it runs a little under the class limit; going over is a quick way to lose marks.
• Read it aloud many times before memorising, marking where the sentence meaning turns, then learn it in phrases rather than word by word.
• Time every run-through with a stopwatch, remembering that nerves usually make speakers faster on the day.
• Practise stressing the key word in each sentence and varying pace between description and action so it does not sound monotone.
• Recite to a listener who has not read the passage and ask what they understood; rework any part that was unclear.
• Plan the opening line and the final pause in advance so you begin calmly and finish cleanly.
• Check the syllabus for rules on the title announcement and the age on the day, and prepare only what the class allows.

Frequently asked questions

Is Recitation - Prose judged individually or as a team?

Across eTalenter's templates it's most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.

Is Recitation - Prose the same as prose speaking or reading?

They are related but not identical. Recitation means delivering the passage from memory, while a reading class lets the speaker use the text. Check the class rules of the festival you are entering.

How long can a prose recitation be?

In the template that carries it, 1.5 minutes for entrants aged twelve and under and 2 minutes for those aged thirteen and over. Other festivals set their own limits.

Do I have to speak the passage word for word?

Yes. The aim is to deliver the author's words faithfully and from memory, so changing or leaving out sentences usually costs marks.

Is it judged individually or as a team?

Individually. Each speaker is ranked within their age class, with boys and girls competing together.

Want the full judging picture? Read the judge scoring and tabulation guide, or browse every literary competition item.

Try Recitation - Prose in eTalenter

See every ready-made template that runs Recitation - Prose, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.

See where Recitation - Prose is used