🌈 Exploring Queer Voices in Poetry for LAMDA Exams
As part of our Pride Month celebrations, we’re spotlighting poetry by LGBTQAI+ writers that’s perfect for LAMDA Verse & Prose exams. These pieces offer rich themes, powerful imagery, and emotional depth — and they invite learners to bring their own identity and perspective to the stage.
Below, we highlight three standout poems — and explain why they’re brilliant choices for LAMDA learners looking to connect personally with their performance material.
🧡 Jackie Kay – "Keeping Orchids"
Theme: Family, identity, adoption, queerness (inferred)
Recommended LAMDA Grade: 6 or 7
Poet’s bio: Jackie Kay is a Scottish poet, novelist and former Makar (national poet of Scotland). Her work often explores adoption, race, and queer identity, drawing on her experiences as a Black, gay, adopted woman growing up in Glasgow.
About the poem: "Keeping Orchids" is a quietly devastating poem about meeting her birth mother as an adult. The imagery of delicate flowers that refuse to open mirrors the strained, tentative relationship between mother and daughter. While queerness isn’t explicit, the themes of rejection, secrecy, and longing for connection resonate deeply with LGBTQ+ experiences.
Why it works for LAMDA: The emotional subtext is rich and restrained, allowing students to develop sensitivity, nuance, and control. It's especially powerful for learners exploring more introspective or emotionally charged delivery.
Read the poem here:
💖 Carol Ann Duffy – "Warming Her Pearls"
Theme: Same-sex desire, longing, class
Recommended LAMDA Grade: 7 or 8
Poet’s bio: Carol Ann Duffy was the first woman and the first openly LGBTQ+ person to be appointed UK Poet Laureate. Her writing is renowned for its sensuality, sharp emotional clarity, and dramatic monologue form.
About the poem: "Warming Her Pearls" is a stunning portrayal of unspoken desire. It is voiced by a maid secretly in love with her mistress, touching on themes of queer longing, power dynamics, and emotional distance. Its rich, romantic tone makes it a strong choice for learners developing solo character work.
Why it works for LAMDA: A fantastic piece for exploring characterisation and unspoken emotional tension. It demands vocal subtlety, physical stillness, and inner life.
Read the poem here:
💬 Kae Tempest – "Hold Your Own"
Theme: Queer identity, transformation, empowerment
Recommended LAMDA Grade: 5 or 6
Poet’s bio: Kae Tempest is a non-binary British poet, playwright and performer known for their blend of spoken word, music, and politics. Their work explores identity, community and transformation with honesty and urgency.
About the poem: "Hold Your Own" is the opening poem in a sequence that reimagines the Greek prophet Tiresias, who lived as both a man and a woman. The poem is a rallying cry for authenticity and strength in the face of external judgement.
Why it works for LAMDA: It builds confidence, rhythm and presence. Especially suited to students looking to push their voice and embody emotional truth.
Listen to Kae read their poem here:
Looking for More? Our tutors can help you source queer-inclusive material that’s appropriate for your grade and style. Whether you want to celebrate identity, explore emotional range, or just find a piece that feels true, we’re here to help you find your voice.
🌈 Happy Pride Month — let your voice be heard!
