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
5 Spoken Word Poets Every Young Adult Should Know And Listen To
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5 Spoken Word Poets Every Young Adult Should Know And Listen To
Jan 02, 2018
The definition of spoken word poetry is known as, «a performance art that is word based. It is an oral art that focuses on the aesthetics of wordplay and intonation and voice inflection.» In simpler terms, it’s an incredible way to bring words to life in a way that sticks with the audience.
Its origins come from Hip-Hop music but has evolved over time and now includes many other elements of music, dance, theater and more. There are also many kinds of spoken word poetry including comedy, jazz and slam poetry.
Now that you have an idea of what it is, you need to hear some great examples. There’s tons of spoken word throughout the internet, but I advise starting with some of the greatest and most notable artists, in no particular order.
1. Shane Koyczan
It’s hard to mention spoken word poetry without immediately referring to Shane because his poem «To This Day» became so noteworthy it resulted in a Ted Talk for anti-bullying and a campaign that created an anti-bullying smartphone app. The Canada based poet has won multiple awards in local competitions and performed his poem «We Are More» at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. You can find his poetry on YouTube and his published books available where most books are sold.
2. Sarah Kay
Sarah’s name is another one that goes hand-in-hand with spoken word. She has been a speaker at Ted Conferences numerous times and has also been praised for her work as the founder of Project Voice. Project Voice is an organization which is used to educate and inspire others through spoken word. Part of her work was even featured in season one of the Netflix original series, «13 Reasons Why.» Her newest book, «All Our Wild Wonder,» is expected to debut in 2018.
Suggested Works: «The Type,» «Table games,»
3. Rudy Francisco
This California based poet has made a name for himself by sharing the stage with people like Gladys Knight and Jordin Sparks and influencing today’s youth with his coaching and workshops. His poetry typically focuses on using his personal narratives to discuss the politics of race, class, gender and religion His first full-length collection of poems, «Helium,» is out now.
Suggested Works: «Complainers,» «Adrenaline Rush,» «My Honest Poem»
4. Sierra DeMulder
Sierra is an international treasure in the spoken word community. Aside from her performance, she is known for being the co-founder of Button Poetry, the largest digital distributor of spoken word in the world. The two-time National Poetry Slam champion also has four published books and uses her talents to help today’s youth during Slam Camp.
Suggested Works: «For My Niece Livia, Age 8,» «Today Means Amen,» «Paper Dolls»
5. Melissa Lozada-Oliva
Melissa’s poetry will probably leave you in tears, either from emotion or laughter depending on which poem you’re hearing. Her works have been featured in Buzzfeed and Glamour Magazine among other places. She is the author of three chapbooks, her most recent, «Peluda.» explores the intersecting narratives of body image, hair removal and Latina identity. Melissa is currently an MFA candidate at NYU.
Suggested Works: «Tonsils,» «Black Thong Underwear,» «Like Totally Whatever»
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Spoken word poetry has a history rich with traditions of hip-hop and blues, comedy, performance, and, most importantly, radical young artists. The art form is apparent in everything, from the writing that emerged out of the Harlem Renaissance to Gil Scott-Heron’s famed “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” and spoken word has long flourished in part by positioning itself as a platform for political expression—and ultimately change. Today’s poetry performers have picked up where their predecessors left off, creating work that celebrates, honors, and preserves voices that are often stifled. Get to know (and support!) these five spoken word poets whose work will embrace and empower you.
Safia Elhillo
Not a fan of on-stage banter, Sudanese (by way of D.C.) poet Safia Elhillo often performs her poems back-to-back, creating beautiful epics that deal with issues like crossing cultures, the illusion of borders, and her love for her homies. Devour Elhillo’s poems one by one in her gorgeous book, The January Children, published with the University of Nebraska Press in March.
What is your first memory of performing poetry?
In middle school—I think I was in the sixth or seventh grade—we had an assignment in English class where we were meant to summarize a chapter of The Odyssey as a poem, and a few of those poems were then chosen by the teacher to be read at an assembly on Ancient Greece. My poem was about Nausicaa—I’ve been pretty nerdy right from the start.
Why do you write? Why do you perform?
I’ve always been a reader, and, as a kid, the only thing I really liked were books, so I wanted to write them one day. There’s something about reading an amazing book that makes writing seem like the most exciting thing in the world. Thankfully, I still haven’t lost that feeling. Performance was more of an acquired taste. When I started writing poetry consistently, in high school, the only spaces I saw other young people of color writing poetry was in slam, so I started competing in slams. The competition aspect was never super interesting to me, but that training taught me a lot. I still edit for sound just as much as I do for diction and believe in saying my poems out loud like I mean what I’m saying. Plus it’s a rush, really, to do something that is out of character for the introvert I actually am.
What themes do you feel the most powerful writing about?
I am most interested in failures of translation—linguistically, culturally, emotionally. I’m interested in the limits of what can survive across languages and across cultures. I’m obsessed with the things people use to identify themselves, especially when oftentimes the stuff we identify ourselves with is kind of fragile and man-made. Right now I’m really into the idea that countries are man-made and borders are fiction.
What’s the last poem that made you cry, smile, or laugh?
My friend Charif Shanahan, who is a real-life genius, has a poem in his collection, Into Each Room We Enter Without Knowing, called “Asmar,” which he dedicated to me, and that immediately made me cry. In it, he talks about the weirdness of being black and an Arab and how no one ever quite knows what to make of your body in either identity. That feeling of finally being fully seen and of having a companion in this, so far, fairly solitary experience of hybrid identity also made me cry. The poem is absolutely gorgeous and is mind-blowing even on a technical level.
What do you consider to be your book’s biggest achievement?
My grandfather, the first poet in my life, is proud.
If this phase of your life was a poem, what would you title it?
I want to borrow the title of a Mohammed Abdelwahab song, “Ya Msafer Wahdak,” which translates to “You Who Travel Alone,” as I’ve been on the road fairly nonstop for the past three months and am basking in that solitude.
Aja Monet
To describe Aja Monet as a poet wouldn’t be the truth in its entirety: She is a performer, an artist, a singer, an educator, and an activist. Across mediums, her art empowers and educates, reflecting on her own experience as a Cuban-Jamaican woman and confronting the realities of oppression through survival, remembrance, and celebration. Monet recited a poem at the Women’s March in D.C. called “My Mother Was a Freedom Fighter,” after which she named her upcoming book due out in May.
What is your first memory of performing poetry?
I was 16, and I performed a poem in my high school talent show about why I write poetry. I was the only poet, and I took first place. Shortly after, a classmate told me about this city-wide poetry competition by Urban Word NYC. I signed up for a prelim poetry slam at St. Mark’s Church on Bowery. I fell in love with the poetry community that day, and although it was the first time I performed a poem in front of complete strangers, it felt like a family.
Why do you write? Why do you perform?
It changes, but I often write to listen—it has to do with resonance. I recite poetry because the power of performing has less to do with form and more to do with how what you’re saying resonates. Especially as truth-telling becomes less and less valued in everyday society, the power of telling the truth, not just writing it, is confrontational, especially in public. Not for the sake of just saying whatever is on one’s mind, but deeply delving into the mind, it’s conditioning, and saying words can help decolonize the mind in action. It is liberating. The sound of my own voice carries many voices. Sometimes it feels like putting on a warm coat in cold air, or strong arms holding up a frail body, or a smooth groove feet can step to.
What themes do you feel the most powerful writing about?
Depends on the day. Myself.
What’s the last poem that made you cry, smile, or laugh?
There’s this poetry program in South Florida called Exchange for Change. The program director Kathie Klarreich invited me to come and judge a poetry competition at a Dade Correctional Facility. There were so many powerful poets. One of them was named Louis Hernandez who wrote a poem called, «Because of Her,” which was about poetry, and another one he wrote was for the inmates on how messed up prison is but how powerful prisoners are. It really choked me up. America’s greatest poets are locked up in prison, and it’s a shame we don’t hear their voices enough. I think it would destroy prisons if we really listened to the people locked up in those cells. It would tear at the fabric of this country.
What do you consider to be your book’s biggest achievement?
What has amazed me so far has been the support and love shown throughout the process.
If this phase of your life was a poem, what would you title it?
“Fruition”
Olivia Gatwood
Find her somewhere between New York and Albuquerque, Olivia Gatwood is a forever-touring poet and educator who believes in the sanctity of girlhood and period panties as works of art. Her beautifully vulnerable and endlessly funny first book of poems, New American Best Friend, dropped this March and was No. 1 in the poetry category on Amazon within the first week.
What is your first memory of performing poetry?
Since I was able to read, I preferred reading aloud. I especially felt that way with poetry; I felt like it was really important that the rhythm be noticed, so I would kind of perform for myself as a way of understanding whatever I was reading. So, of course, when I started writing poems at about 11 or 12, I inherently performed them for whoever would listen. If I said, “I wrote a poem,” the implication was not “Do you want to read it?” but “Do you want to hear it?”
Why do you write? Why do you perform?
I suppose a lot of writers probably feel this way, but it’s kind of an instinctual act for me and always has been. In my adult life though, I’ve really grown to love the actual work of writing. It used to be an emotional outlet, and now I think it functions more as a practice that I love. My reasons for performing are a bit different—I think poems are meant to live off the page. I can get pretty bad stage fright and often fantasize about turning around and running out of the room before my name is called, but somehow I always end up on the stage. I want to do my own work justice and really care about how and when my poems are received, so I have to compromise for the sake of that.
What themes do you feel the most powerful writing about?
I’ve been writing about the age 13 for like, three years now. The potency of that stage of life is, I think, incomparable. More recently I’ve found a lot of power in writing about myself—not through anecdote or political stance—but truly taking accountability for the architecture of my brain, unpacking what it means to exist in the world as the human that I am.
What’s the last poem that made you cry, smile, or laugh?
Melissa Lozada-Oliva just sent me a poem called “A Game of Hot Potato with My Heart as the Potato” by Amy Saul-Zerby that fucked me up. Also, I’ve been watching and rewatching Danez Smith perform “Self Portrait as a 90s R&B Video.”
What do you consider to be your book’s biggest achievement?
The tangible success of New American Best Friend has been really shocking and is an amazing thing to witness. So there’s that. I think, more broadly, the book has resonated with such a vast group of girls from all different cities and countries, and I feel proud that I was able to write something with that effect. I wrote what I would have wanted to read, and it feels really good to see it in the hands of girls who need it now.
If this phase of your life was a poem, what would you title it?
“Last Night I Slept Alone and Tomorrow I Will Too”
Melissa Lozada-Oliva
Just when Melissa Lozada-Oliva has you delirious with laughter—probably reading a poem from her phone she literally wrote the night before about what she’d buy if she got paid for emotional labor—she sobers you up with a preciously crafted poem about being unheard in a white man’s world or how sisterhood has saved her. Melissa’s chapbook Peluda, published by Button Poetry, comes out this September.
What is your first memory of performing poetry?
I was in this late-night venue at my college, reading a poem about how it’s possible to be vegetarian and Latino. It’s really embarrassing thinking about what I thought was profound. I’m pretty sure I had this line that was like, “Being Latina means I actually think George Lopez is funny!” I also remember that I felt kind of high afterward, or just very alive. Anyway, I’m not a vegetarian anymore.
Why do you write? Why do you perform?
I need to make sense of the world and I love attention.
What themes do you feel the most powerful writing about?
Recently, for Peluda I’ve been writing a lot about hair removal in relation to Latinx identity. My mother is a professional waxer, so hair removal has been a huge part of my life and my womanhood. I think I felt ashamed that my mother wasn’t a doctor or a lawyer, that her profession was attached to something many white feminists consider shallow. I wanted to find a way to all at once reclaim this kind of labor and also reclaim my hairiness—something that, in some spaces, makes me distinctly Latina, or distinctly «other.» Reclaiming this—even celebrating it—makes me feel powerful.
What’s the last poem that made you cry, smile, or laugh?
A poem I saw performed by Andrine Pierresaint. She’s 14 years old and is writing poems that none of us are ready for. I wish I was writing like that when I was her age.
What do you consider to be your book’s biggest achievement?
This book is me holding up a mirror for my personal experience as a hairy Guatemalan-Colombian-American woman, and it was the reflection that I needed. I hope it reaches other hairy girls of color and encourages them to hold up mirrors, too, to create reflections of themselves and to put themselves into spaces that were not created with them in mind.
If this phase of your life was a poem, what would you title it?
Honestly, probably a line from a Mitski song. This one specifically: “Your Mother Wouldn’t Approve of How My Mother Raised Me But I Do, I Finally Do.”
Elizabeth Acevedo
For Elizabeth Acevedo, storytelling is an act of love and survival—her poetry acting as a paper trail of truths, beauty, and reclamation. The first generation Dominican poet has shared her work on tour, on TED Talks, and through both published poetry and fiction. Elizabeth is the author of the stellar chapbook, Beastgirl & Other Origin Myths, with two forthcoming books, Medusa Reads La Negra’s Palm and The Poet X.
What is your first memory of performing poetry?
I competed at a poetry slam when I was 14 at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. It was thrilling to be in front of so many people and feel heard. I was so moved by the other poets, as this was one of the first times I’d ever seen so many people performing live poetry.
Why do you write? Why do you perform?
I write to process my many intersections and to understand how to exist in the world. I perform to connect with others and to see and feel seen.
What themes do you feel the most powerful writing about?
Anti-colonialism. There’s a lot to unpack in the way I was raised and brought up that is in direct to response to white supremacy, colonialism, Spanish rule, patriarchy, and Christianity. I find power in reconsidering narratives that rendered my ancestors and parents powerless. I find power in reclaiming.
What’s the last poem that made you cry, smile, or laugh?
Safia Elhillo’s entire new collection of poetry, January Children.
What do you consider to be your book’s biggest achievement?
It centers around the mythology of the islands, and I’m so glad to be able to call upon folkloric characters and make space to converse with them.
If this phase of your life was a poem, what would you title it?
Probably something containing the word «Multitudinous.»
This article is about a performance art. For recordings of books or dialog, see Audiobook. For the 2009 film, see Spoken Word (film).
Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer’s aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of recitation and word play, such as the performer’s live intonation and voice inflection. Spoken word is a «catchall» term that includes any kind of poetry recited aloud, including poetry readings, poetry slams, jazz poetry, and hip hop music, and can include comedy routines and prose monologues.[1] Unlike written poetry, the poetic text takes its quality less from the visual aesthetics on a page, but depends more on phonaesthetics, or the aesthetics of sound.
HistoryEdit
Spoken word has existed for many years; long before writing, through a cycle of practicing, listening and memorizing, each language drew on its resources of sound structure for aural patterns that made spoken poetry very different from ordinary discourse and easier to commit to memory.[2] «There were poets long before there were printing presses, poetry is primarily oral utterance, to be said aloud, to be heard.»[3]
Poetry, like music, appeals to the ear, an effect known as euphony or onomatopoeia, a device to represent a thing or action by a word that imitates sound.[4] «Speak again, Speak like rain» was how Kikuyu, an East African people, described her verse to author Isak Dinesen,[5] confirming a comment by T. S. Eliot that «poetry remains one person talking to another».[6]
The oral tradition is one that is conveyed primarily by speech as opposed to writing,[7] in predominantly oral cultures proverbs (also known as maxims) are convenient vehicles for conveying simple beliefs and cultural attitudes.[8] «The hearing knowledge we bring to a line of poetry is a knowledge of a pattern of speech we have known since we were infants».[9]
Performance poetry, which is kindred to performance art, is explicitly written to be performed aloud[10] and consciously shuns the written form.[11] «Form», as Donald Hall records «was never more than an extension of content.»[12]
Performance poetry in Africa dates to prehistorical times with the creation of hunting poetry, while elegiac and panegyric court poetry were developed extensively throughout the history of the empires of the Nile, Niger and Volta river valleys.[13] One of the best known griot epic poems was created for the founder of the Mali Empire, the Epic of Sundiata. In African culture, performance poetry is a part of theatrics, which was present in all aspects of pre-colonial African life[14] and whose theatrical ceremonies had many different functions: political, educative, spiritual and entertainment. Poetics were an element of theatrical performances of local oral artists, linguists and historians, accompanied by local instruments of the people such as the kora, the xalam, the mbira and the djembe drum. Drumming for accompaniment is not to be confused with performances of the «talking drum», which is a literature of its own, since it is a distinct method of communication that depends on conveying meaning through non-musical grammatical, tonal and rhythmic rules imitating speech.[15][16] Although, they could be included in performances of the griots.
In ancient Greece, the spoken word was the most trusted repository for the best of their thought, and inducements would be offered to men (such as the rhapsodes) who set themselves the task of developing minds capable of retaining and voices capable of communicating the treasures of their culture.[17] The Ancient Greeks included Greek lyric, which is similar to spoken-word poetry, in their Olympic Games.[18]
Development in the United StatesEdit
This poem is about the International Monetary Fund; the poet expresses his political concerns about the IMF’s practices and about globalization.
Vachel Lindsay helped maintain the tradition of poetry as spoken art in the early twentieth century.[19] Robert Frost also spoke well, his meter accommodating his natural sentences.[20] Poet laureate Robert Pinsky said, «Poetry’s proper culmination is to be read aloud by someone’s voice, whoever reads a poem aloud becomes the proper medium for the poem.»[21] «Every speaker intuitively courses through manipulation of sounds, it is almost as though ‘we sing to one another all day’.»[9] «Sound once imagined through the eye gradually gave body to poems through performance, and late in the 1950s reading aloud erupted in the United States.»[20]
Some American spoken-word poetry originated from the poetry of the Harlem Renaissance,[22] blues, and the Beat Generation of the 1960s.[23] Spoken word in African-American culture drew on a rich literary and musical heritage. Langston Hughes and writers of the Harlem Renaissance were inspired by the feelings of the blues and spirituals, hip-hop, and slam poetry artists were inspired by poets such as Hughes in their word stylings.[24]
The Civil Rights Movement also influenced spoken word. Notable speeches such as Martin Luther King Jr.’s «I Have a Dream», Sojourner Truth’s «Ain’t I a Woman?», and Booker T. Washington’s «Cast Down Your Buckets» incorporated elements of oration that influenced the spoken word movement within the African-American community.[24] The Last Poets was a poetry and political music group formed during the 1960s that was born out of the Civil Rights Movement and helped increase the popularity of spoken word within African-American culture.[25] Spoken word poetry entered into wider American culture following the release of Gil Scott-Heron’s spoken-word poem «The Revolution Will Not Be Televised» on the album Small Talk at 125th and Lenox in 1970.[26]
The Nuyorican Poets Café on New York’s Lower Eastside was founded in 1973, and is one of the oldest American venues for presenting spoken-word poetry.[27]
In the 1980s, spoken-word poetry competitions, often with elimination rounds, emerged and were labelled «poetry slams». American poet Marc Smith is credited with starting the poetry slam in November 1984.[18] In 1990, the first National Poetry Slam took place in Fort Mason, San Francisco.[28] The poetry slam movement reached a wider audience following Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry, which was aired on HBO between 2002 and 2007. The poets associated with the Buffalo Readings were active early in the 21st century.
International developmentEdit
Kenyan spoken word poet Mumbi Macharia.
Outside of the United States, artists such as French singer-songwriters Léo Ferré and Serge Gainsbourg made personal use of spoken word over rock or symphonic music from the beginning of the 1970s in such albums as Amour Anarchie (1970), Histoire de Melody Nelson (1971), and Il n’y a plus rien (1973), and contributed to the popularization of spoken word within French culture.
In the UK, musicians who have performed spoken word lyrics include Blur,[29] The Streets and Kae Tempest.
In 2003, the movement reached its peak in France with Fabien Marsaud aka Grand Corps Malade being a forerunner of the genre.[30][31]
In Zimbabwe spoken word has been mostly active on stage through the House of Hunger Poetry slam in Harare, Mlomo Wakho Poetry Slam in Bulawayo as well as the Charles Austin Theatre in Masvingo. Festivals such as Harare International Festival of the Arts, Intwa Arts Festival KoBulawayo and Shoko Festival have supported the genre for a number of years.[32]
In Nigeria, there are poetry events such as Wordup by i2x Media, The Rendezvous by FOS (Figures Of Speech movement), GrrrAttitude by Graciano Enwerem, SWPC which happens frequently, Rhapsodist, a conference by J19 Poetry and More Life Concert (an annual poetry concert in Port Harcourt) by More Life Poetry. Poets Amakason, ChidinmaR, oddFelix, Kormbat, Moje, Godzboi, Ifeanyi Agwazia, Chinwendu Nwangwa, Worden Enya, Resame, EfePaul, Dike Chukwumerije, Graciano Enwerem, Oruz Kennedy, Agbeye Oburumu, Fragile MC, Lyrical Pontiff, Irra, Neofloetry, Toby Abiodun, Paul Word, Donna, Kemistree and PoeThick Samurai are all based in Nigeria. Spoken word events in Nigeria[33] continues to grow traction, with new, entertaining and popular spoken word events like The Gathering Africa, a new fusion of Poetry, Theatre, Philosophy and Art, organized 3 times a year by the multi-talented beauty Queen, Rei Obaigbo [34] and the founder [35] of Oreime.com.
In Trinidad and Tobago, this art form is widely used as a form of social commentary and is displayed all throughout the nation at all times of the year. The main poetry events in Trinidad and Tobago are overseen by an organization called the 2 Cent Movement. They host an annual event in partnership with the NGC Bocas Lit Fest and First Citizens Bank called «The First Citizens national Poetry Slam», formerly called «Verses». This organization also hosts poetry slams and workshops for primary and secondary schools. It is also involved in social work and issues.
In Ghana, the poetry group Ehalakasa led by Kojo Yibor Kojo AKA Sir Black, holds monthly TalkParty events (collaborative endeavour with Nubuke Foundation and/ National Theatre of Ghana) and special events such as the Ehalakasa Slam Festival and end-of-year events. This group has produced spoken-word poets including, Mutombo da Poet,[36] Chief Moomen, Nana Asaase, Rhyme Sonny, Koo Kumi, Hondred Percent, Jewel King, Faiba Bernard, Akambo, Wordrite, Natty Ogli, and Philipa.
The spoken word movement in Ghana is rapidly growing that individual spoken word artists like MEGBORNA,[37] are continuously carving a niche for themselves and stretching the borders of spoken word by combining spoken word with 3D animations and spoken word video game, based on his yet to be released poem, Alkebulan.
Megborna performing at the First Kvngs Edition of the Megborna Concert, 2019
In Kumasi, the creative group CHASKELE holds an annual spoken word event on the campus of KNUST giving platform to poets and other creatives. Poets like Elidior The Poet, Slimo, T-Maine are key members of this group.
In Kenya, poetry performance grew significantly between the late 1990s and early 2000s. This was through organisers and creative hubs such as Kwani Open Mic, Slam Africa, Waamathai’s, Poetry at Discovery, Hisia Zangu Poetry, Poetry Slam Africa, Paza Sauti, Anika, Fatuma’s Voice, ESPA, Sauti dada, Wenyewe poetry among others. Soon the movement moved to other counties and to universities throughout the country. Spoken word in Kenya has been a means of communication where poets can speak about issues affecting young people in Africa. Some of the well known poets in Kenya are Dorphan, Kenner B, Namatsi Lukoye, Raya Wambui, Wanjiku Mwaura, Teardrops, Mufasa, Mumbi Macharia, Qui Qarre, Sitawa Namwalie, Sitawa Wafula, Anne Moraa, Ngwatilo Mawiyo, Stephen Derwent.[38]
In Israel, in 2011 there was a monthly Spoken Word Line in a local club in Tel-Aviv by the name of: «Word Up!». The line was organized by Binyamin Inbal and was the beginning of a successful movement of spoken word lovers and performers all over the country.
CompetitionsEdit
Spoken-word poetry is often performed in a competitive setting. In 1990, the first National Poetry Slam was held in San Francisco.[18] It is the largest poetry slam competition event in the world, now held each year in different cities across the United States.[39] The popularity of slam poetry has resulted in slam poetry competitions being held across the world, at venues ranging from coffeehouses to large stages.
MovementEdit
Spoken-word poetry is typically more than a hobby or expression of talent. This art form is often used to convey important or controversial messages to society. Such messages often include raising awareness of topics such as: racial inequality, sexual assault and/or rape culture, anti-bullying messages, body-positive campaigns, and LGBT topics. Slam poetry competitions often feature loud and radical poems that display both intense content and sound. Spoken-word poetry is also abundant on college campuses, YouTube, and through forums such as Button Poetry.[40] Some spoken-word poems go viral and can then appear in articles, on TED talks, and on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
See alsoEdit
- Greek lyric
- Griot
- Haikai prose
- Hip hop
- List of performance poets
- Nuyorican Poets Café
- Oral poetry
- Performance poetry
- Poetry reading
- Prose rhythm
- Prosimetrum
- Purple prose
- Rapping
- Recitative
- Rhymed prose
- Slam poetry
ReferencesEdit
- ^ Hirsch, Edward (April 8, 2014). A Poet’s Glossary. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0151011957.
- ^ Hollander, John (1996). Committed to Memory. New York: Riverhead Books. ISBN 9781573226462.
- ^ Knight, Etheridge (1988). «On the Oral Nature of Poetry». The Black Scholar. Abingdon: Taylor and Francis. 19 (4–5): 92–96. doi:10.1080/00064246.1988.11412887.
- ^ Kennedy, X. J.; Gioia, Dana (1998). An Introduction to Poetry. Longman. ISBN 9780321015563.
- ^ Dinesen, Isak (1972). Out of Africa. New York: Random House. ISBN 978-0679600213.
- ^ Eliot, T. S. (1942), «The Music of Poetry» (lecture). Glasgow: Jackson.
- ^ The American Heritage Guide to Contemporary Usage and Style. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2005. ISBN 978-0618604999.
- ^ Ong, Walter J. (1982). Orality and Literacy: Cultural Attitudes. Metheun.
- ^ a b Pinsky, Robert (1999). The Sounds of Poetry: A Brief Guide. Farrar Straus & Giroux. ISBN 9780374526177.
- ^ Hirsch, Edward (2014). A Poets Glossary. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9780151011957.
- ^ Parker, Sam (December 16, 2009). «Three-minute poetry? It’s all the rage». The Times.
- ^ Olson, Charles (1950). «‘Projective Verse’: Essay on Poetic Theory». Pamphlet.
- ^ Finnegan, Ruth (2012), Oral Literature in Africa, Open Book Publishers.
- ^ John Conteh-Morgan, John (1994), «African Traditional Drama and Issues in Theater and Performance Criticism», Comparative Drama.
- ^ Finnegan (2012), Oral Literature in Africa, pp. 467-484.
- ^ Stern, Theodore (1957), Drum and Whistle Languages: An Analysis of Speech Surrogates, University of Oregon.
- ^ Bahn, Eugene; Bahn, Margaret L. (1970). A History of Oral Performance. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Burgess. p. 10.
- ^ a b c Glazner, Gary Mex (2000). Poetry Slam: The Competitive Art of Performance Poetry. San Francisco: Manic D.
- ^ ‘Reading list, Biography – Vachel Lindsay’ Poetry Foundation.org Chicago 2015
- ^ a b Hall, Donald (October 26, 2012). «Thank You Thank You». The New Yorker. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
- ^ Sleigh, Tom (Summer 1998). «Robert Pinsky». Bomb.
- ^ O’Keefe Aptowicz, Cristin (2008). Words in Your Face: A Guided Tour through Twenty Years of the New York City Poetry Slam. New York: Soft Skull Press. ISBN 978-1-933368-82-5.
- ^ Neal, Mark Anthony (2003). The Songs in the Key of Black Life: A Rhythm and Blues Nation. New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-96571-3.
- ^ a b «Say It Loud: African American Spoken Word». Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
- ^ «The Last Poets». www.nsm.buffalo.edu. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ Sisario, Ben (May 28, 2011), Ben Sisario, «Gil Scott-Heron, Voice of Black Protest Culture, Dies at 62», The New York Times.
- ^ «The History of Nuyorican Poetry Slam» Archived October 1, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Verbs on Asphalt.
- ^ «PSI FAQ: National Poetry Slam». Archived from the original on October 29, 2013.
- ^ DeGroot, Joey (April 23, 2014). «7 Great songs with Spoken Word Lyrics». MusicTimes.com.
- ^ «Grand Corps Malade — Biography | Billboard». www.billboard.com. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
- ^ «Grand Corps Malade». France Today. July 11, 2006. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
- ^ Muchuri, Tinashe (May 14, 2016). «Honour Eludes local writers». NewsDay. Zimbabwe. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
- ^ Independent, Agency (2 February 2022). «The Gathering Africa, Spokenword Event by Oreime.com». Independent. p. 1. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
- ^ «Tarere Obaigbo: 2021 Mrs. Nigeria Gears Up for Global Stage». THISDAYLIVE. 2021-11-05. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
- ^ «Tarere Obaigbo, Founder Of The Gathering Africa, Wins Mrs Nigeria Pageant — Olisa.tv». 2021-05-19. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
- ^ «Mutombo The Poet of Ghana presents Africa’s spoken word to the world». TheAfricanDream.net. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
- ^ «Meet KNUST finest spoken word artist, Chris Parker ‘Megborna’«. hypercitigh.com. Archived from the original on 2021-02-28.
- ^ Ekesa, Beatrice Jane (2020-08-18). «Integration of Work and Leisure in the Performance of Spoken Word Poetry in Kenya». Journal of Critical Studies in Language and Literature. 1 (3): 9–13. doi:10.46809/jcsll.v1i3.23. ISSN 2732-4605.
- ^ Poetry Slam, Inc. Web. November 28, 2012.
- ^ «Home — Button Poetry». Button Poetry.
Further readingEdit
- «5 Tips on Spoken Word». Power Poetry.org. 2015.
External linksEdit
- Poetry aloud – examples
Telling a story with words is fun, but being able to tell a story with a poem is even more challenging, imaginative, and entertaining for an audience. Spoken word poetry is a form of poetry where the author will present their poem to an audience, or out load, using narration. When you hear spoken poetry being performed, you will notice that there are many differences when compared to other types of poetry. As more of an oral language is being used, expressions and emotions are portrayed differently.
If you want to convey your opinions and thoughts through a performance, let’s take a look at some famous spoken word poems, as well as how you can write a spoken word poem yourself.
Get a complete guide to interpreting the poetry of the Romantic Era here.
Step 1: Select a topic for your poem. As with anything that you write, make sure that you have a strong and expressive opinion about the topic that you choose. Remember that you are going to have to incorporate a good deal of passion and feeling into reading a spoken word poem.
Step 2: Once you have chosen your topic, take some time to think about the subject that you have selected. Get out a piece of scratch paper and write down the initial words that come to mind when you think about your topic. When you are finished, look through your words and choose the one that you feel best explains your topic of interest.
Step 3: Go ahead and start writing your poem. Spoken word poetry is very free flowing, and you can use any and all different types of punctuation to get your point across. For instance, you can incorporate commas, brackets, or dashes into your poem. Your audience will not see your poem –they will hear it. For this reason, there are no rules regarding the number of beats in spoken word poetry.
Step 4: When you are finished with your poem, it is important to edit. Proofread it yourself or ask any friends or family to edit your poem for you. Remember that the length of your poem is up to you, but spoken word poems tend to be longer than other types of poetry. Take into consideration what others have to say about your poem, but keep in mind that you always have the final say in your writing.
Step 5: There are plenty of other spoken word poets that you can easily watch online. Observe how they perform their poems and what they use to grab the attention of their audience. Pay attention to the gestures their hand movements and gestures while performing. You can decide to pick and choose from other poets what will work best when it comes to your performance.
For tips on how to speak in public without fear, enroll in this course for public speaking the fearless way.
Step 6: Since the point of spoken word poetry is to perform your poem, the final step of writing a spoken word poem is performing it. When you perform your poem, it is important to do so in your own individual manner and style. You can mind your own performance style by practicing different wants that you feel comfortable expressing yourself. Before you perform in front of anyone, or a live audience, remember to rehearse your poem several times until you begin to feel more comfortable doing so.
5 Tips for Writing Spoken Word Poetry
Tip 1: Use Concrete Language
Spoken word poetry should incorporate certain words and phrases that can create vivid images, sounds, actions, and other feelings and sensations in your readers. If you spoken poetry is strong and rich with imagery, your audience will be able to feel, smell, and taste along with your poem. A good spoken word poetry is just like reading a good book.
Tip 2: Use Repetition
In any type of poetry, repetition is a simple, yet powerful poetic device. The repetition of a phrase or imagine will help to extend that particular thought or image beyond its original meaning. This can help the writer get a point across or exaggerate a point that they want to make.
Tip 3: Incorporate Rhyme
The use of rhyming in your poem can add to your performance and make it more entertaining and fun to follow for your audience. Use elements of surprise and moderation when incorporating rhyme into your spoken word poetry.
Tip 4: Attitude
Every poet’s poem will be unique, and they will also have their own unique perspective of the subject or topic that they choose to write and speak about. It is essential that a spoken word poem is able to capture the feelings that the poet has and covey them to their audience and the rest of the world. Be sure that your poem incorporates a certain attitude or feeling to your audience.
Tip 5: Persona
As a poet or write, you can portray anyone and any feelings that you want to in your poetry. For example, you choose to write your poem in the voice of someone else, or take on the opinion of another person that might be different from your own. Be creative and have fun with the subject you choose.
Tips For Performing Spoken Word Poetry
Posture: Be sure to stand up straight with your shoulders back, chin up, and head high. Look confident and assertive.- Eye Contact: Make eye contact with your audience, and do not star at the floor, your paper, or in one particular spot the entire time.
- Project: Speak loudly and clearly enough to ensure that your entire audience can hear your voice.
- Enunciate: Do not mumble.
- Facial Expressions: Use facial expressions when you are performing spoken word poetry. This will help your audience get an idea of a point you want to get at or your emotions that are involved with your words.
Posture: Be sure to stand up straight with your shoulders back, chin up, and head high. Look confident and assertive.Popular Spoken Word Poems
- Buddy Wakefield — “Convenience Stores”
- Kate Tempest — “Line in the Sand”
- LKJ — “Inglan Is a Bitch”
- Dizraeli — “Maria”
- TJ Dema — “Neon Poem”
- Toby T — “Tomorrow”
- Andrea Gibson and Katie Wirsing
- Shane Koyczan – “To This Day”
Speak Your Mind
Spoken word poetry can be used to give a person a voice that they can use to express their ideas, emotions, and beliefs on a wide variety of things. Poetry is real, so take the above steps and let your authenticity shine. For tips on learning, memorizing, and performing poetry, enroll in this memorization course taught by a professional language learning author and film studies professor.