Poetry
Poetry is a powerful and playful medium for storytelling. It's been developed since ancient Sumerian, Chinese, and Greek times. Today there are a number of different genres that permeate youth and popular culture. One particularly dominant form is the use of "Slam Poetry" amongst activist and literacy organizations.
Poetry, and "Slam Poetry" in particular, are useful tools for developing public speaking skills, complex story structure techniques, and metaphorical uses of language. Poetic genres are often defined by structural rules with a range of rigidity, Haiku being a classic example. These rules help define creative constraints in which writers learn to play against or develop.
The element of live performance in poetry offers another visceral dimension in which poets can play. Daniel Beaty's "Knock Knock" illustrates the nuanced, emotional intensity that can be reached with a short-form, repetitive poetic structure. In Beaty's piece, he uses a single phrase "knock knock" as a thematic cue that runs throughout and develops from his personal story of his father's incarceration to an inspirational rallying of disenfranchised Black Americans. Beaty has since moved on to develop programs to teach youth how to harness poetry to overcome painful circumstances and empower themselves.
Amongst the organizations analyzed, such as Youth Speak and their Brave New Voices project, slam poetry has become a cornerstone for empowering youth and developing their literacy skills. One common use of their poetic storytelling is to share personal experiences that are creatively frame by larger themes and systematic issues, such as gender, racial, and economic inequality.
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Contents of this tag:
- Brave New Voices Slam Poetry 2013 Finals Round #4 - Washington D C
- Daniel Beaty - Knock, Knock on Def Jam Poetry
- Lily Myers - "Shrinking Women" (CUPSI 2013)
- Kait Rokowski - "How To Cure a Feminist"
- Teens Lead Young Children in Social Justice Poetry Slam
- Get Lit: WHAT IS A BLITZ?
- Brave New Voices Finals - Los Angeles "Shots Fired"
- Mindy Nettifee - For Young Women Who Don't Consider Themselves Feminists (The Last Nerve)
- Slam Poet Slams Standardized Education | Breaking the Stage
- Slam Poetry: Sonya Renee "What Women Deserve"
- Get Lit: WHAT DO THE TEACHERS THINK?
- Bringing the Noise '15 - Connor
- Bringing the Noise '15 - Sarah
- T. Miller - Poetry Slam Winner
- Statement and poem by Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, Climate Summit 2014 - Opening Ceremony
- The Raise Up Project: RaiseUpProject.org
- At risk youth turn to poetry for positive results - InsideOUT writers
- Get Lit Promo PBS Video
- "Brown VS. Board of Education" by Brandon Santiago (Raise Up Project)
- Kimar Cain. - Art Poetry & Justice
- Get Lit Player Emerita Maia Mayor performing her original poem "Perfect"
- Bringing the Noise '15 - Caitlyn
- The Black Bruins [Spoken Word] - Sy Stokes
- Get Lit: WHAT IS THE CLASSIC SLAM?
- Bringing the Noise '14: José Vadi
- The Black Beavers [Spoken Word] - UCLA Black Bruins Response
- Get Lit Promo 2013 Video
- "THE CORNER" - Jose Vadi {The Bigger Picture Project}
- Def Poetry - Yellow Rage - Listen Asshole
- The Power of Get Lit - "Let There Be Light!"
- Raise Up - Get Lit Players
- "By Any Sweets Necessary" by Luke Tailor {The Bigger Picture}
- Rachel Rostad - "To JK Rowling, from Cho Chang" (CUPSI 2013 Finals)
- "The Drop In" (Raise Up Project)
- Bringing the Noise '15 - Ryan
- Urban Word 2013 Teen Poetry Slam Finals: Evy Exime
- Rachel Rostad - "Names" (NPS 2013)
