Spoken Word: The Rise to Center Stage
In a world where technology transcends traditional art, it is quite amazing that "Spoken Word" is taking the literature world by storm again.
Spoken word is a form of poetry that is presented on stage accompanied by observed intonation and projection. Since it is performed, this poetry requires the heavy use of rhythm, enunciation, gestures and concrete language.
In the early times, poem recitals have been used in Homer's time with "The Odyssey." However, dominant poets underestimated poetry when hip-hops rose in 1970s. With that, Marc Smith from Chicago then began hosting mic nights in 1984, wherein poets were able to perform their literary pieces. This has led to Smith's hosting on performance poetry competitions or poetry slams.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
It resulted to popularity in the late 1990s, and it also became a competition series under Poetry Slam International's National Poetry Slam. Today, poetry slams have caught the attention of audiences not only in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, but also in countries such as Singapore and the U.K. The popularity of writing words to be recited has gained the interests of the youth today as it does not only contain rhythmic patterned compositions but also emotions and experiences.
In a blog post, it is said that in order to make a poetry gain attention, one must use words that can create images or powerful meanings and can bring feelings and sensations to the audience as well. Repetition is also important because it is a powerful poetic device in emphasizing one's thoughts. A poem also creates a certain attitude and persona which the poet can portray.
In the way our world revolves, spoken word and slam poetry has become helpful to many people in expressing their thoughts and the way they once viewed the world. Alana Gooden from Philadelphia once lived with "danger as a part of her everyday life" after losing her family. But with the help of her teacher, Cait Minor, she became a part of the Philadelphia Youth Poetry Movement in 2010. She was able to tell her story through poetry.
A research clearly explained that spoken word helps people to "explore their identities and their voices through poetic device." It allows to redefine the world. It can also be a movement for change. Through spoken word poetry, the youth of this generation will no longer alienate themselves in the form of literature as it is embraced again by contemporary society.
Today, various organizations have been formed to support the voices of the people, especially the youth. These organizations aim to fight illiteracy, silence, isolation and alienation.
