A Poetry Slam is a competitive event where poets
perform their own poetry on stage. Performances are judged on how much the poem
moves the audience.
During open slams, poets perform one piece of original work that
will be scored 1-10 by five different judges, dropping the lowest and highest
score. Before the first competing poet, there is a ‘sacrificial poet’, who
performs to warm up the judges scoring. After the first round, low scores are
eliminated and the top few poets slam again. Eventually, two poets are left in
the finals.
Slam poets pour their hearts and souls on stage while
communicating their deepest thoughts. Some slams are powerful enough to change
perspectives and they never fail to include a line or two that gives you
goosebumps.
There are many styles of slam poets ranging from “ranting
hipsters, freestyle rappers, bohemian drifters, proto-comedians, mystical
shamans to gothy punks” as described by Slam master, Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz.
You never hear the same poem twice or the same side of an issue.
So, what does it take to be a slam poet? One thing and one thing
only: honest expression. Express your emotions, express your thoughts, and
express the glimpses of your life your willing to share.
Helpful Slam Tips
·You don’t need to rhyme words as much. In a slam poetry the
pauses and pronunciations of your words create the rhythm and that rhythm
creates poetry.
·Be fully honest with yourself. Get down to the core of your
emotions, even the little things you might not want to except. Poetry is a
strong catalyst for self-awareness.
·Some slams are more like raps while others are more like
speeches; it’s all how you feel and what your mind, heart, and body is artfully
expressing.
A Slam Poem
A poet leaks part of his soul into a book, words brimming with
life,
Vibrant and alive,
Trying to speak but sealed between pages never to depart
But still waiting to arrive
Waiting to be told , because every time we write these words
we hear how they want to be spoken,
And when we speak them,
They create a symphony of expression
Our souls compose and ours lyrics are our lessons
See when you slam,
Your mind becomes a storyteller,
Your body a dancer,
And your heart a jazz musician,
All trying to communicate the messages of your soul
Sharing
that symphony with someone is something to behold.
“Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.” ― Robert Frost
Emotions are fickle beasts. Sometimes they’re clear and brilliant: we’re happy, sad, frustrated, or angry. But emotions can also be complicated, layered, and conflicting. Sure, we’re happy but we’re also kind of annoyed about something. We’re sad but we also have something to be glad about. When emotions are textured and gritty, they are difficult to describe.
I believe music is the single best expression of human emotion, but poetry is a close second. Capturing complex feelings in words without the support of music is a marvelous feat. Only the deftest poets do it well.
Four-time Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Frost is one of the most well known and beloved poets in the American literary canon. He knew how to convey emotions through language.
I’d like to share an excerpt from my favorite Frost poem, “The Road Not Taken.”
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I– I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.
By definition, poets take the road that is less traveled by. Some poets gently steer away from the mainstream; others rail in the face of convention.
According to Wikipedia, “In 1894 [Frost] sold his first poem, ‘My Butterfly. An Elegy’ …for $15 ($398 today).” These days, getting $15 for a poem would be an incredible feat. Getting $398 would be impossible. But there was a time when there was a market for poetry, when ordinary people (who were not writers, artists, or poets) bought and read poetry. Maybe back then people understood that poetry had the unique ability to interpret and explain emotions.
Where do we turn for those interpretations and explanations today?
