The Art of Spoken Word Poetry

Note: This seminar will be led by student Daniel Espinoza-Gonzalez under the supervision of Marie Eaton.

"The very word 'poetry' repels people. Why is that? Because of what schools have done to it. The slam gives it back to the people.... We need people to talk poetry to each other. That's how we communicate our values, our hearts, the things that we've learned that make us who we are."

-Marc Kelly Smith

Marc Kelly Smith, co-founder of the Poetry Slam competition, stated, "The true goal [of spoken word poetry and Poetry Slams] is to inspire people from all walks of life to listen to poetry, appreciate and respect its power, and ultimately to take the stage and perform their own original works."

Spoken word poetry was used during the Civil Rights movement to creatively state opinions against political regimes and as a form of self-expression when many people were being silenced. It continues to be used as an influential form of expression to this day, as the creation of the Poetry Slam gave new life to the genre. Such artists that have taken full advantage of the potential of the art form are Patricia Smith, Saul Williams, and Gilbert Scott-Heron. Words on the page can be powerful, but the incorporation of voice, body, and performance, has made spoken word poetry one of the most impactful and empowering forms of creative expression.

Together we will learn about the history of spoken word poetry, the rise of this art form in popular culture, and about the influence of the Slam Poetry Competition. In this course, well explore our own truths and identities, the power of our voices and performance, the best practices for incorporating social and political issues, what makes a powerful poem, and create our own spoken word poems. Well begin with small exercises, but as each week passes the difficulty will increase and eventually, through writing and editing workshops, each of us will have written, memorize, and performed several of our original spoken word poems. This undertaking will require commitment, passion, curiosity, and a willingness to listen to the voices of our peers, and the voices within ourselves. By the end of the quarter, you will each possess several spoken word poems which will be performed in front of the class at our end of the quarter open mic.