Performance Poetry in the Modern United States
"The points are not the point; the point is poetry."
- Allan Wolf
"The HEAD, by way of the EAR, to the SYLLABLE
The HEART, by way of the BREATH, to the LINE”
- Charles Olson
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
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
I rented the Def Poetry Jam to get a broader sampling of performance poetry artists. This was an interesting and enjoyable set of performances. The write-up describes it thus:
MOVIE: Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry: Season 1
Russell Simmons, the man behind Def Comedy Jam, applies the same winning formula to the world of spoken-word poetry. Hosted by rapper and actor Mos Def and filmed at
Rated: NR 1 hr. 53 min. 2002
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