I have been apart of Poetry Slams since I was a freshman in High School. I competed, I shared, I won, I emceed, I coached, I practiced, I laughed, I've loved. Being able to perform on stage by myself and with a team of people has been an invigorating moment of freedom. The freedom to express my truth. The freedom to let my thoughts go from pen to paper to performance. If you don't know what Slam Poetry is, I am here to educate you. And if you do, I am here to make your experience a little bit better the next time you attend a Poetry Slam! Here are the 10 things you need to know...
1. To begin, it's roots
A slam itself is a poetry competition where poets perform original pieces alone or with a team in front of an audience which includes judges. It's without props, music, and costumes. It's sort of like storytelling in an unorthodox way.
2. "The points is not the point, the point is the poetry!"
This is a saying that is said at every poetry slam. At each competition, there are five judges, who judge based on stage presence, articulation, the content of your piece, and literary devices. Judges give a score between 1-10. In reminding poets who are in the competition that the point is the poetry it will help them make their performance more authentic instead of focusing on what doesn't really matter.
3. Snaps are indeed necessary
Feedback is necessary. As a poet, we feed off of the energy you give. When you give your "Yeah!", "Mmm", and "Amen's", we feel a little bit more alive each time. It makes a poet feel good. It makes a poet feel heard.
4. Respect the mic
It takes a lot of guts to get up on stage to perform a piece of any kind. Show love. Show respect.
6. It is a community
It is a team of people who are comfortable to share a piece of their life with a community of people, a family, that they didn't even know existed. There is unity in numbers. There is unity through vulnerability.
7. Not everybody who performs a slam poem is angry, loud, or talks real fast
Bear with me, this will be long. There is a misconception that most poets who perform at poetry slams are loud, aggressive, angsty, or talks super fast and no one can understand. I can speak from experience that this is not always true. Although the essence of a slam is to captivate the audience by being heard and assertive, it can also be done in a mellow fashion. There is also a misconception that you have to be a hippy, conscious,"woke" or be a rapper to perform poetry. Just be you. That's the beauty of it.
8. Three minutes... please
There is a time limit and it's usually between two to three minutes. Three is key, y'all! You want to keep your audience's attention.
9. It crosses all cultures
It crosses black, white, Hispanic, Asian, straight, gay, lesbian, trans, Christian, Jewish, poor, rich, and the list goes on of the many cultures it touches. Poetry is universal.
Keep these ten things in mind the next time you encounter a poetry slam. You'll enjoy it better in doing so.
