It seems that poetry is always the most dreaded topic in English classes. Dickens, Frost and Whitman can at times be enough to bore even the most vivacious of readers. While the classic poets are important to literature and history, poetry has recently taken a different turn, and it’s one that could truly change the way people see both poetry and the world.
Slam poetry: a movement often associated with hipsters and liberal arts majors who couldn’t get a real job. It’s the kind of poetry that conjures up the image of black turtlenecks and dim lighting and coffee shop readings where there is no clapping, only snapping. To some degree, these stereotypes may be a little bit true.
But slam poetry is exactly that: a movement. In recent years it has taken the world by storm in an effort for people to connect poetry and the world in a way that has never been done before. Viral poems like Neil Hilborn’s “OCD” and Rudy Francisco’s “Scars/To The New Boyfriend” are a few of the most famous ones that have been gateways into slam poetry for many people. The beauty of these poems is that they don’t sugarcoat anything—they are real. While the flowery old English of the classic poems is enough to turn anyone off, the lightning-fast metaphors and almost musical rhythm of slam poetry will leave you breathless.
It’s not just the style that has earned slam poetry its rapid popularity. It’s also the content. In a day and age when our world is consumed by hate and tragedy, it is important for all of us to have a way to vent our thoughts on these atrocities. For many, words are the right way to do that. Channeling anger into a poem to open people’s eyes is exactly what Rutgers University did in “A Rape Poem to End All Rape Poems.” Blythe Baird does an excellent job of revealing the realities of eating disorders and society’s expectations of teenage girls in “When the Fat Girl Gets Skinny.” Javon Johnson shares the reality of growing up black in a white-privileged world in "Cuz He’s Black." These poems bring forth the things we don’t want to believe are real, but they do it in a way that means you can never ignore it.
Slam poetry entertaining, because the people who do it are performers. It is educational, because the people who write it are knowledgeable. It is emotional, because the people who live it are sharing real, human experiences. They come from all walks of life and are united for one reason: words. Like nothing else, poetry has brought people together who might have never expected to share a stage or an audience. It has brought forth those who love the spotlight and those who simply love writing and those who just want to share their story. It is for anyone, and it is for everyone.
This is why slam poetry can change the world. All it takes is a voice and a single spark of an idea. Heartbroken? Turn it into a poem. Angry at the world? Turn it into a poem. Want to educate about an issue dear to your heart? Poem. Listen to all the poetry you can, feel it, and endlessly create your own. Know that when you do, you are not only making art, but letting yourself be heard. Slam poetry gives each and every person on this earth the chance for a voice. There’s nothing else that is so open and so accessible.
If you’re still not convinced poetry, slam or not, is something you ever want to be a part of, that’s fine. But if you listen to even a few, you might change your mind. Feelings that are hard to express may come to life much more easily in poetry. Words can be the most peaceful protest and the most powerful weapon any of us possess. It’s time the world realized that.
