"The HEAD, by way of the EAR, to the SYLLABLE
The HEART, by way of the BREATH, to the LINE”
- Charles Olson


Welcome to my poetry research blog! Here's a little background...

Poetry is, at its heart, a very acoustic phenomenon. Distinguished from prose through its emphasis on the use of sound, namely its distinctive rhythms, meters, and rhyme scheme, the earliest known poetry followed the oral tradition. Among the most famous examples of early poetry are Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey,” which were transmitted by word of mouth for centuries.

Following the spread of literacy, poetry increasingly became a written form. Though the play of sounds and rhythms were still very important, and though poets gained the ability to use the visual presentation of their poems to shape the meaning of their work, poetry lost much of its performance aspect. However, during the twentieth century, there was a poetic movement that began re-emphasizing the importance of sound and performance in poetry.

This blog will track my research into the developments in performance poetry in the modern United States. My principal focus will be on poetry slams, but I will be investigating all forms of performance poetry. I’m taking a multi-media approach to this research: not only will I be using articles and books, I will also be watching videos, youtube clips, and, most importantly, attending actual Slams. I’m especially excited for the National Poetry Slam in August.

Specifically, here you will find a record of the performance events that I have and intend to attend.

“Sometimes a good slam strategy is to give the audience something they didn’t know they needed until they’ve heard it. Sometimes it’s aesthetic deduction, sometimes it’s angelic inspiration, but it’s always being true to yourself, your teammates, your muse, and your art."
-- Daniel S. Solis

Friday, June 20, 2008

June 11, 2008 - Brown Bag Luncheon Presentation

Today, I presented my research project concept before the other R. E. Lee scholars and professors. The room was packed, and, aside from technical difficulties, the presentation went well. I was excited to have the chance to hear the feedback from the community.

The response was overwhelmingly positive. The audience was interested in the idea of studying performance poetry in this contemporary context, and they seemed captured by the energy of the Youtube clips that I showed. It's exciting and inspiring to get this much enthusiasm from such an intelligent, motivated crowd of people! I also received a few really interesting suggestions that I would like to follow up on.

- S.D. suggested checking out a National Geographic article about the origins of Hip Hop. It also discussed the African Ties with rap and various musical forms, as well as the commercialization aspect. He was kind enough to send me a link, which I've posted.

- Dr. U. suggested looking at Greek performances/competitive drama, which was judged by the audiences much like slam poetry.

- Dr. D. suggested the democratic nature of performance poetry, removing the realm of critique from the hands of the elite critics and restoring it to the masses.

- I also hope to be able to follow up with research on slam in other countries and the musical nature of slam poems.

Also, discussing the project with Professor Wheeler afterwards was very helpful. I'll be going to my first slam this Friday, and I'm so excited.

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