Whenever someone asks me what poetry slam is, I find myself constantly giving the short excuse that it is a mix of hip hop and poetry. I never like to offer this as a definition to someone, but it is simply a quick way to describe such an activity. Hip hop is actually only one aspect of poetry slam that has become quite popular recently. Poetry slam relates more closely to general, literary poetry. To put it simply, poetry slam is the art of bringing words from the page to life.
People who are vaguely familiar with the concept of poetry slam will usually associate the term with a competition. In fact there are such things as competitions called "poetry slams" that are becoming quite popular. "Poetry slams" are friendly venues where poets from around the area go to compete against one another. These competitions usually involve between five and twenty poets who perform in a series of heats. Each heat lasts three minutes. In that time the poet has a chance to read one poem to the audience and a group of randomly selected judges. Those judges will grade the poem on a scale from 0 to 10, giving equal consideration to the performance and the content of the poem read. This competition setting is a great place for poets to try out new pieces and to connect to an enthusiastic audience. However, these competitions do not complete the definition of poetry slam. Competitive "poetry slams" were created to spark more interest in all poetry. They are just venues where poetry slam is held. The actual definition extends far beyond these competitions.
Poetry is simply a genre. This genre is a form of poetry that invites all different styles and techniques. When I offer my definition that poetry slam is a mix of hip hop and poetry, it is because recently that is the style that slam poets have tended to lean toward. While hip hop poets are always welcome and accepted in poetry slam they do not make up the entire genre. Any poem that works in a performance setting is considered a slam poem. In my experience, this could mean anything from a very quiet, personal piece that the audience can connect with to a piece ending with the poet releasing an ear-piercing howl. There is no limit to what slam poems can be. The definition of slam poetry is unlimited, because the definition of poetry itself is unlimited. A poem is any piece of writing that has rhythm and spirit. This translates exactly into the style of poetry slam. This genre allows the spirit to come off the page and connect with its audience at a different level.
Poetry slam also welcomes experimentation. A common technique used by slam poets is to sing during a section of the poem. Usually, they sing a song that everyone is familiar with, but sometimes they make up their own short verse. The beauty of this is that no one judges a poet on how well they sing. I have heard some great voices sing during their poems, but I've also heard some of the worst singers at poetry slams. No matter how well you can sing the audience does not care. They are there to hear poetry. This technique tends to be very effective and the audience always reacts well to it. I've seen poets do many other experimental things as well. Sometimes the poets will get the audience involved in their poem. The poet will encourage the audience to react to certain parts of the poem as part of their presentation. I went to a performance once where the poet gave the audience a line to repeat over and over again. While the audience was reciting this line, the poet performed his poem over the audience's chanting. At the end the poet received a standing ovation for that piece. One of the most memorable poems I have seen was a poem about becoming one with nature. At the end of his poem, the poet was trying to bury himself into the ground right on stage. The audience was going wild for this and the judges all awarded him perfect 10s. A technique that has been used many times that will never be overdone is group poems. Group poems are when a group of two or more poets come together and mutually perform a poem. Multiple voices and views in one poem is a powerful way for the poets to express their ideas. One wonderful group poem I saw was performed by a college team. The poem had to do with relating lives in American society to lives in other societies. There was a chorus where all the poets would perform together. Between choruses, the poets would express one by one their own experiences with societies around the world. These are just a small representation of the techniques I've seen and new ones are continually being invented. This will keep the audience guessing, so when someone goes to a poetry slam, they need to be prepared for anything.
Technique is not the only thing open for experimentation in slam poetry. The content of a poem is also often experimental. There are common themes in slam poetry that I tend to hear frequently, such as sex and culture. However, there are also themes out there that are very unusual and bizarre. I have heard poems about math, mayonnaise, rubber ducks, going back to nature, snake charmers, cats, orange juice tequila, God's dog, and hip hop style verses about trees. Some of the most effective slam poems use the most unusual images and concepts. The ability poets have to play with every part of their poem is what makes the genre so unique and extraordinary.
The most important part of poetry slam is the diversity. In the poetry slam setting this diversity is always respected. Everyone's thoughts are welcome. Once I sat through a poem where the poet tore apart my religion and criticized everything I believe in. At the end I didn't react negatively. I simply sat in my chair and politely applauded. I expect everyone to respect my opinion, so I will also respect their opinions. This is a common understanding between slam poets. The audience at "poetry slams" is more diverse than any other literary or theatrical event I have ever attended. There are countless minorities that attend who explore their cultures in very interesting ways. Many feminist thinkers express themselves through poetry as well. While these events have the tendency to be very liberal, I have also heard some outstanding conservative poems. When poets get on the stage at a "poetry slam", they are never wrong and the one thing that is always protected is their opinions.
Unfortunately, "poetry slams" have had somewhat negative effects on poetry slam in general. They are ideal for creating larger audiences, but sometimes the poetry can suffer. The judges tend to curve their scores based on the audience's reaction to a poem. However, sometimes poems can move the audiences on the inside and they cannot reflect their true feelings for these poems on the outside. This may cause a great and beautiful poem to receive a low score. Due to this, poets have tended to write poems focusing on the performance rather than the poem. This is the biggest reason that the hip hop style has become so popular. Usually this style is full of energy and the audience can more easily reflect their enjoyment for the judges to observe. Despite these minor setbacks, the positives of "poetry slams" by far outweigh the negatives. It is most likely that poetry slam would never have even taken off if it weren't for these competitions. There is a local cafe close to where I live where there are monthly "poetry slams". These events have had up to one hundred people attend recently. A few years prior to this there were no competitions. There were only open readings for poets to come and share their work without receiving a score. These were poorly attended. There were months when only two people would show up for the entire event. While there are negative aspects of "poetry slams", there is a good chance poetry slam might not even exist without them.
One thing a poet must always pay attention to in poetry slam is the roots of this genre. Sometimes the genre tends to have a little more slam than poetry. As a slam poet, it is crucial never to lose sight that slam poetry still relies on the poetic aspect. Poetry is an art form. Someone can not just come up with a great poem in a matter of an hour. This is also true with slam poetry. In a great slam poem, the first draft should never be the last. Usually it takes dozens of revisions to finally have a poem worthy of performing over and over again. I have written poems that have been revised so many times that there is not a single line or concept that remained the same between the first draft and the final one. It is important to pay attention to every little detail in the poem and nothing should be overlooked. Poetry is no different than music or painting in terms of being artistic. The only difference between poetry and poetry slam is that poetry slam is meant for a performance setting. This does not mean that it can't still work on paper. The ideal slam poem should be able to score perfect tens at a national competition and be published in the world's most respected literary magazine. The chances of this ever occurring are very slim, but this is always the goal a slam poet wishes to achieve.
Poetry and poetry slam owe a lot to each other. Without poetry, slam poetry would not even exist today. Poetry slam has also helped the popularity of poetry increase steadily recently. Before I became a slam poet and attended numerous "poetry slams", I always dreaded the poetry unit in school. Once I started to be around slam poetry, my appreciation for all poetry began to grow. Pretty soon my favorite unit in English class was poetry. My appreciation grew so much I decided to major in English in college. I have poetry slam to thank for this. This complex art form has given me countless ideas and led me in limitless directions.
