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DM Ink endeavors to encourage a generation to think better, write better and live better in life. As an organization we promote thinking on a creative level, and assist with various aspects of performing arts through fundraising events, showcases and community outreach programs. Our goal is to inspire, empower and enlighten the world through art and literature.
Our brand represents products that readers can easily relate to. The current catalog has built a solid foundation among readers and music enthusiast, who currently read and listens to inspirational, empowering and enlightening material. The spoken word poetry collection creates a connection with the reader. This collection also enlightens the reader and provides them with understanding. Each published piece is embedded with a message that challenges the reader to make a connection between ideas and concept’s. More importantly, the series of poems give a testimony and explains how you can achieve your dreams by believing in them.
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What is the difference between a poet and a spoken word artist? Between a reading and a performance?
With written word, the inner spirit of a poem is there on the page, and the poet connects individually with the reader. The page dictates the line breaks, and the reader determines the pacing and tempo when the poem is read silently in the reader’s head or out loud. The words are there to savor or to return to whenever needed by the reader. Books are comfortable companions that surround the reader with intimate connections from the writer. There is an individual communion and healing between the poet and the reader.
But once that poem moves off the page and is read, not just from the page, but read with the rhythm and the music in the soul of the poet, it makes a different kind of connection—a connection with the community—and it now speaks to the masses. The poet determines the rhythm and spirit of the poem and starts to merge the art forms of the written word, music, theater and dance into new forms, generally called «spoken word».
Spoken word has been around a lot longer than the written word. Spoken word can be traced back to a long-practiced art form that is rooted in the oral traditions of many cultures. Before written language was introduced, one generation passed on their oral history to the next with storytelling; they kept this conversation going with rhythm, music and dance. It was a way to keep the memories alive through the generations, but also a way to take people to another place, sustain them during troubled times and give them hope and love.
Spoken word as it is practiced today retains those same elements of connection in the community, bringing us back to the sounds of our ancestors. There seems to be a bit of a divide, though, between the academic world and the spoken word movement. Most colleges don’t «teach» the art of spoken word. It’s usually something you have to experience on your own out in the community. Fortunately, here in the Twin Cities, spoken word is really starting to flow!
The Minnesota Spoken Word Association (MNSWA) USA, spearheaded by many of the leading spoken word artists in the Twin Cities, recognizes the rise of spoken word as a legitimate art form. They define spoken word as «the rhythmically-based performance of poetry and the continually innovative marriages of poetry and music…[spoken word] has indeed become the voice of the times, and the artists, the voice of the community. As the poets of the Harlem Renaissance spoke for and about their time, the Beat poets for theirs, and the Black Arts Movement artists for the 1960’s and 1970’s -the spoken word artists today speak for ours.»
The Loft Literary Center occasionally has instructors who teach classes related to spoken word, such as reading for performance, storytelling or monologues. SASE: The Write Place is a catalyst for instructors in the art of spoken word and also recently co-sponsored (along with the Loft, the U of M’s Creative Writing Program, the East Side Arts Council and others) the «Poetry Music Innovation» held in Poetry Park at Lake Phalen in St. Paul, also in August 2001.
What does the future hold for spoken word? Plenty! There is so much hunger out there in the world and writers need to be courageous enough to improvise, collaborate and cross disciplines, boundaries and cultures to get the art of spoken word out into the community.
by
Jules Nyquist
Loft Literary Center
Write on Radio at KFAI
Spoken word poetry is a new poetry form that became popular in the early 20th-century. It is one of the most important modern art forms. There are several spoken artists across the world who have chosen this form in order to share their views, takes, and stands on crucial social issues, orthodox cultural values, and prejudices. The genre finds its roots in ancient oral traditions and performances.
Spoken Word Poetry Definition
Spoken word poetry is a broad designation for the poetic works which are intended for performance.
This spoken-word performance art mainly involves a poetic text meant for reading out loud and a performer. Both are inseparable as the words are written for performance rather than to be read as it is, directly from the book or paper, without emotions and intonation. As an art form, it has a history that dates back as early as the classical era. Specifically, the genre gained traction in the latter half of the 20th-century. The term “spoken word” or “spoken word poetry” includes all the modern poems that are spoken aloud. It contains a number of features of rap, hip-hop, jazz, rock, blues, spirituals, and folk songs.
History of Spoken Word Poetry
The oral poetry tradition has existed in society for several years, through a cycle of listening, practice, and memorization. In ancient Greece, the lyrics were similar to modern-day spoken word poetry. Performance poetry has existed in Africa from prehistoric times. The genre developed in the United States in the early 20th-century. According to scholars, the poetry of the Harlem Renaissance, Beat Generation, and Last Poets played an important role in the development of the spoken word in the US.
The Civil Rights Movement also influenced this performative poetry form. The speeches delivered by civil rights activists such as Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ contained the elements of oral tradition and helped the development of the spoken word movement.
In 1973, the Nuyorican Poets Café was founded. It is one of the oldest venues of the spoken word. American poet Marc Smith started the poetry slam, designed to move poetry from the intellectual sphere to that of the masses, in Chicago in November 1984. In 1990, the first National Poetry Slam (a nationwide performance poetry competition) took place in San Francisco.
Elements of Spoken Word Poetry
Subject
The subject is what the poem is about. It includes the topics that in one way or the other have an impact on the performer or the writer. The main purpose of the spoken word is to give a message to society. Some of the recurring topics in spoken word poetry are racism, inequality, social justice, corruption, gender, and LGBTQ issues. Explore some of the best-known LGBTQ poems.
Gateway Line
The gateway line is the combination of the first few lines of a spoken word that are meant for introducing the subject to the audience. It could be the first line or a group of lines that tells the audience where the story or narrative is heading. This element contains hooks in order to entice the audience.
Motif
A motif is a recurring idea across a literary text. Spoken word poetry includes the repetition of one word, line, or idea several times during the performance. There can be one or more motifs that help the performer enhance the work’s larger meaning. For instance, In ‘Black Privilege,’ Crystal Valentine uses the line “Black privilege is the hung elephant swinging in the room” as a motif as well as the gateway line.
Wordplay
Wordplay is one of the important elements of spoken word poetry. It means to use a particular word in different contexts to create a punning effect. Wordplay also means the amalgamation of different images, emotions, and sounds in order to make the performance more lively.
Sound Devices
Spoken-word artists use several sound devices to create euphony. Those devices help the speaker to enhance their message, motif, and subject. The important poetic devices found in a spoken-word piece include:
- Alliteration: is the repetition of the same sound at the beginning of adjacent words.
- Assonance: is the recurrence of the vowel sound in successive words.
- Consonance: is the reuse of consonant sounds in nearby words.
- Rhyme: is the recurrence of identical sounds in consecutive lines.
- Repetition: is the use of one word or idea several times across a text.
- Onomatopoeia: occurs when a word imitates a natural sound.
Power Line
The power line is usually the last line of a spoken-word poem that contains a hard-hitting message or one idea that stays longer with the audience. It emphasizes the main idea or the message of the piece. Artists use such lines in order to make their audience think even if the performance has ended. For instance, the last line of Nora Cooper’s ‘I Won’t Write Your Obituary’ leaves the audience awe-struck.
Best Spoken Word Poetry Examples
When the Fat Girl Gets Skinny by Blythe Baird
If you develop an eating disorder when you are already thin to begin with, you go to the hospital.
If you develop an eating disorder when you are not thin to begin with, you are a success story.
So when I evaporated, of course everyone congratulated me on getting healthy.
Girls at school who never spoke to me before stopped me in the hallway to ask how I did it.
I say, “I am sick.”
They say, “No, you’re an inspiration.”
How could I not fall in love with my illness?
With becoming the kind of silhouette people are supposed to fall in love with?
Why would I ever want to stop being hungry when anorexia was the most interesting thing about me?
This poem is about a speaker’s struggle with her obesity, her body, and her mind. The preconceived notions of staying thin and eating lean have not only made her fed up with her own body but also made her give up hope in herself. This piece contains the use of wordplay, poetic devices, and straightforward diction.
Hair by Elizabeth Acevedo
Momma that tells me to fix my hair, and so many words remain unspoken.
Because all I can reply is, “You can’t fix what was never broken.”
‘Hair’ by Elizabeth Acevedo touches upon the themes of identity, black consciousness, cultural assimilation, and pride. This poem is about a girl, who refuses to “whiten” her hair which is as beautiful as the way it is. She does not want to forget the history of blacks drawn by chains as slaves. Her strangled, curly hair is the symbol of their identity that she bears with pride. Explore these incredible Black Lives Matter poems.
Principles by Danez Smith
ask not what your country can do for you
ask if your country is your country
ask if your country belongs to your country folk
(…)
ask if your country was built of stolen land
and stolen breath, if democracy is a chain
tight as skin around your neck
ask if your comfort means elsewhere
someone is burying a daughter
ask if your comfort means round
the corner a man is dead cause a cop
mistook his body for a gun
ask if your comfort means broke schools
& food deserts on the other side of town
ask if your new apartment used to belong
to someone who couldn’t afford to look
like you, ask yourself if all the things
you are scared to admit …
Smith’s ‘Principles’ is a long poem consisting of five sections. This piece begins with a powerful repetition of the phrase “ask if,” interrogating the audience to look within and ponder upon the issues largely ignored. Through this piece, Smith wants to question what should be our principles to create a better society.
If I Should Have a Daughter by Sarah Kay
And you’re the girl with small hands and big eyes who never stops asking for more.
Remember that good things come in threes and so do bad things and
always apologize when you’ve done something wrong
but don’t you ever apologize for the way your eyes refuse to stop shining,
your voice is small but don’t ever stop singing.
And when they finally hand you a heartache,
when they slip war and hatred under your door and offer you handouts on street corners
of cynicism and defeat, you tell them that
they
really ought to meet your mother.
Spoken-word poet Sarah Kay performed this poem at TED 2011. In this poem, she describes a conversation between a mother and daughter on the issues that trouble the wide-eyed girl the most. This poem is also known as ‘B’.
Cuz He’s Black by Javon Johnson
Still, we both know it’s not about whether or not the shooter is racist, it’s about how poor black boys are treated as problems well before we are treated as people. Black boys in this country cannot afford to play cops and robbers if we’re always considered the latter, don’t have the luxury of playing war when we’re already in one.
This poem was performed at the 2013 National Poetry Slam semi-finals in Boston. In this personal and impassioned piece, spoken-word poet Javon Jonhson raises the issues of racism, inequality, and injustice through the conversation of an uncle and his four-year-old nephew. Read the best African-American poetry.
Spoken Word Poetry vs. Traditional Poetry
Spoken word poetry is an oral performance art form and traditional poetry is a written form of art. Traditional poems include a set structure, form, rhyme scheme, and meter. In the case of the spoken word, there are no set rules concerning how to structure the text. Most of the spoken-word poetry is in free-verse with varying line lengths and contains wordplay, repetition, and sound devices. Alongside that, it is performed in a dramatic fashion where the artist acts, modulates their voice, and assumes different personas in order to invoke life into their words.
FAQs
What is a spoken word example?
A spoken word example is any piece of poetry meant for performance. Danez Smith’s long free-verse poem ‘Principles’ is an example of the spoken word.
What is the difference between spoken word and page poetry?
The main difference between the two is that spoken word takes its quality less from the visual aesthetics on a page, but depends more on euphony, or the aesthetics of sound.
What are the characteristics of spoken word poetry?
Some of the important characteristics of spoken word poetry include the use of wordplay, humor, intonation, gestures, and euphony. The most important feature of the spoken word is that it is meant for reading out loud in front of an audience.
Where did spoken word poetry originate?
American spoken word poetry originated during the early 20th-century, from the Harlem Renaissance poetry. The art form is indebted to the ancient oral traditions.
- Slam Poetry: is a type of spoken word poetry that is performed at poetry slams.
- Free Verse: is a form of poetry with unrhymed and unmetered lines.
- Ballad: is a kind of verse that is narrative in nature and is often set to music.
- Ghazal: is a form of poetry that is constructed with couplets and rhyming words.
- Narrative Poetry: contains all the elements of a story and is normally longer than average.
- Alba: is a genre of lyric poetry from the Old Occitan period.
- Confessional Poetry: is a style of poetry that is personal and written from the perspective of a first-person narrator.
Other Resources
- Watch: How To Write Spoken Word Poetry
- Learn: About Harlem Renaissance
- Read: ‘The 17-Year-Old & the Gay Bar’ by Danez Smith
- Explore: An Eight-Step Guide to Write a Poem
Introduction
When we think of poetry, we often imagine a solitary figure hunched over a notebook, scribbling away in silence. But over the past few decades, a new form of poetry has emerged: spoken word. Unlike traditional poetry, spoken word is meant to be performed in front of an audience. It’s a powerful and engaging art form that has been gaining popularity all over the world. In this article, we’ll explore what spoken word poetry is, why it matters, and how it’s changing the literary landscape.
What is Spoken Word Poetry?
Spoken word poetry is a form of poetry that is meant to be performed in front of an audience. It is often performed with music, and can be accompanied by a variety of other art forms, such as dance or theater. The origins of spoken word poetry can be traced back to the beat poets of the 1950s and 60s, who would perform their poetry in coffeehouses and bars.
Today, spoken word poetry has evolved into a dynamic and diverse art form that is practiced all over the world. It can be political, personal, or simply entertaining. What sets spoken word poetry apart from traditional poetry is its emphasis on performance. Spoken word poets use their bodies, voices, and movements to bring their poetry to life, creating a powerful and emotional experience for the audience.
Why Spoken Word Poetry Matters
Spoken word poetry has been gaining popularity in recent years for a number of reasons. For one, it provides a platform for underrepresented voices. Spoken word poetry has always been a space for marginalized communities to share their experiences and stories. It allows people to express themselves in a way that they may not have been able to before, and it can be a powerful tool for social change.
Spoken word poetry is also accessible. Unlike traditional poetry, which can sometimes feel intimidating or exclusive, spoken word poetry is open to everyone. It’s a form of art that can be performed by anyone with a story to tell, and it can be enjoyed by anyone who is willing to listen.
In addition, spoken word poetry is often used as a form of therapy. Many poets use their art as a way to work through trauma, mental illness, or other personal struggles. By sharing their experiences with an audience, they can create a sense of community and support that can be incredibly healing.
How Spoken Word Poetry is Changing the Literary Landscape
Spoken word poetry is not just a form of entertainment or therapy. It’s also changing the literary landscape in a number of ways. For one, it’s creating a new canon of poetry that is more diverse and inclusive. Spoken word poetry is often performed by people from marginalized communities, and it allows these voices to be heard and recognized in the literary world.
In addition, spoken word poetry is challenging traditional ideas about what poetry is and who can create it. It’s a form of art that is not bound by strict rules or conventions, which allows for a greater range of expression and creativity. As a result, spoken word poetry is attracting new audiences and creating a space for a more diverse range of artists to thrive.
Spoken word poetry is also influencing other forms of art, such as music and theater. Many musicians and playwrights have been inspired by spoken word poetry, and have incorporated its techniques into their own work. This cross-pollination of art forms is creating new and exciting opportunities for artists to collaborate and experiment.
Conclusion
Spoken word poetry is a powerful and engaging art form that is changing the literary landscape in exciting ways. It provides a platform for underrepresented voices, offers a space for personal expression and healing, and is challenging traditional ideas about what poetry is and who can create it. As spoken word poetry continues to gain popularity, it is becoming an increasingly important part of contemporary literature. It’s a form of art that is accessible, diverse, and dynamic, and it offers something for everyone.
If you’re interested in exploring spoken word poetry, there are a few ways to get started. Many cities have open mic nights or poetry slams where you can see spoken word poetry performed live. There are also many online resources, such as YouTube channels and poetry podcasts, where you can discover new poets and performances.
As spoken word poetry continues to evolve and grow, it’s clear that it’s an art form that is here to stay. Its impact on the literary world and beyond is only just beginning, and we can’t wait to see where it goes next.
Keywords
- Spoken word poetry: A form of poetry that is meant to be performed in front of an audience, often accompanied by music or other art forms.
- Traditional poetry: Poetry that adheres to established literary conventions and forms.
- Beat poets: A group of poets from the 1950s and 60s who rejected traditional literary conventions and emphasized personal expression and freedom.
- Marginalized communities: Groups of people who have been historically excluded or oppressed, such as people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, or those living in poverty.
- Social change: The process of bringing about positive and meaningful shifts in society, often through activism or advocacy.
- Therapy: A form of treatment or healing that aims to improve a person’s mental, emotional, or physical well-being.
- Trauma: An emotional or psychological response to a distressing event, such as abuse or violence.
- Mental illness: A range of conditions that affect a person’s mood, behavior, or thinking, such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder.
- Canon: A body of literature or art that is recognized as important or influential within a particular field or community.
- Inclusive: Embracing diversity and promoting equal access and opportunity for all individuals or groups.
- Creativity: The ability to use imagination and original ideas to create something new or innovative.
- Cross-pollination: The process of exchanging ideas or techniques between different art forms or fields.
- Contemporary literature: Literature that is currently being produced and published, often reflecting modern themes and perspectives.
- Open mic nights: Events where anyone can sign up to perform in front of an audience, often featuring music or poetry.
- Poetry slams: Competitions where poets perform their work in front of a panel of judges and a live audience.
- Online resources: Tools or platforms available on the internet, such as websites or social media.
- Performance art: Art that is meant to be experienced through a live performance, often involving elements of theater or dance.
- Personal expression: The act of conveying one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences through art or other means.
- Diversity: Embracing and valuing differences in race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or other characteristics.
Impact: The effect or influence that something has on individuals, communities, or society as a whole.
Author
D.H. Phoenix is a multi-genre writer with a passion for poetry, short stories, novels, and music. With a unique voice and style, he explores the beauty and complexity of the human experience in his writing.