Recitation is not loud reading. Five basics that fix stiffness in weeks:
1. Breathe from the belly, not the chest. Run out of air mid-line and the poem dies. One full stanza per breath. 2. Pause at commas, not line ends. Bengali meter flows across lines; stopping at every line break chops the music. 3. Emphasize verbs, not adjectives. "Ami poth hatitechi": lean on the walking. 4. Record yourself and listen back. Painful, effective, free. The recording hears what pride hides. 5. Start short. Sukumar Ray's Abol Tabol rhymes (1923) are perfect practice: playful, rhythmic, forgiving. 6. Slow down. Beginners rush; masters linger. If it feels too slow, it is probably just right. Sources: Banglapedia Study the masters: listen to how Bratati Bandyopadhyay handles a pause in Tagore before you try it yourself. Imitation is the whole syllabus at first; your own voice comes later.