For those of you who don't know, April is National Poetry Month for both the United States and Canada. The annual celebration was started by the Academy of American Poets in 1996 in order to bring about greater appreciation for the poetic medium. The movement was adopted by Canada in 1998, and has been growing in popularity in both countries ever since.

When many of us think of poetry, we think of the works of Shakespeare, Pound, Plath, Angelou, or even Seuss. They are our beloved pioneers of the pen and innovators of the iamb whose voices and visions, among those of countless others, have vastly shaped the canon of literature. While these artists are justly celebrated for their contributions, today, their medium of expression represents but one facet of the nuanced world of poetry. Their work has paved the way for the spoken word.

The term "spoken word" refers to many different types of oral performance, but is most often used to describe performative poetry. Often referred to as slam poetry, this hard-hitting, metaphor-heavy, confessional performance art has been a growing force for the past three decades and has managed to solidify it's identity as a distinct poetic genre by allowing artist and audience to connect in a unique and often personal way.

If you're a fan of poetry already, or just someone looking to whet your appetite for verse, here is a list of several spoken word poets who will hopefully do just that.

1. Rudy Francisco

Rudy Francisco is from San Diego, California and holds a bachelor's degree in psychology, as well as a master's degree in organizational leadership. Francisco has used his education and artistic abilities to educate youth on poetry through lectures and workshops.

Artistically, Francisco has championed numerous poetry competitions, including the National Underground Poetry Slam and the San Diego and San Francisco Poetry Slams, among others. Francisco's style is a unique blend of activism and confession, a necessary marriage of the personal with the political.

2. George Watsky

Before being most well-known as rapper "Gwatsky" or "Pale Kid Raps Fast," George Watsky was known and praised as a performance poet.

Watsky began writing and performing at the age of fifteen, and has been doing so ever since. Watsky's poetics encompass sly, off-brand humor and social commentaries based on his experiences and observations.

3. Shane Koyczan

Shane Koyczan was born in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. Koyczan was the first Canadian to win the Individual Championship title at the National Poetry Slam and, in addition to his recognition for his spoken word performances, has published several books of poetry.

Koyczan's work has been noted for its subject matter, as he hones in on topics of grief, sickness, bullying, and hope.

Alysia Harris began her fascination with language at a very young age and wrote her first poem at 10 years old. She went on to attend the University of Pennsylvania as a linguistics major with concentrations in Arabic, Russian, and Old and nonstandard English. It was while participating in the university's poets collective, the Excelano Project, that she first received recognition for her work. She has performed on HBO's Brave New Voices, as well as in numerous cities in the U.S and abroad.

Harris' poetry is heavily influenced by her extensive travels and personal meditations on faith through the lenses of the many different religions with which she has become acquainted in her explorations of the world. Gifted with great intellect and an authoritative voice, Harris uses her art to seek out those places within herself which lead her to greater vulnerability and personal understanding.

5. Joshua Bennett

Joshua Bennett hails from Yonkers, New York and spent his undergraduate years at the University of Pennsylvania, where he double majored in Africana Studies and English, and participated in the Excelano Project alongside fellow poet Alysia Harris. Before graduating from the university, Bennett became an HBO Brave New Voices champion, and was invited to perform at both the NAACP Image Awards and the White House Evening of Poetry, where he performed for President Barack Obama.

Bennett's poetry is influenced in equal measure by his education and the hip-hop culture in which he was raised, and explores race, gender, disability and love with masterfully precise and passionate language.