It helps to know they can, in fact, speak reasonably well in public settings.

It's a rule (or should be) of public speaking that one should never attempt to read what one doesn't first understand.

Don't have a friend read a dense and complex poem if he or she can't take the time and energy to "take the poem apart" and understand it first!

Have your friend read the selection for you, so you can check for mispronounced words, etc.