"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

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

August 8, 2008 - Semifinals

Semifinals were exciting. After the first two rounds of competition, the original field of 76 teams was narrowed to the top twenty competitors. Baltimore (109.1 as of Wed) was pitted against Oakland (114.2), St. Paul (101.2), Chicago MG (107.4), and Charlotte (113.8).

All of the bouts were held simultaneously in the Overture Center for the Arts, an absolutely gorgeous facility. The Baltimore team arrived early to check out their room and the settings. Before too long, the other teams started to arrive. Then, the crowd filled the stands.

Chris Wilson, Ryan Mergen, and Kyle Eichmann testing out the stage

The event opened with three group pieces from teams that had not made the top twenty. Then, the judges were introduced and the calibration poet sacrificed (with a score of 26.3). Three group pieces were played in the very first round, and scores in that round ranged from 26.5 to 28. However, they soon climbed, and there were many 29’s before the evening was out. Major topics included:

Art/Music 1

Geography

Homosexuality

Inspirational 1

Literature/Writing 1

Love 1

Personal Issues 2

Politics 3

Pop Culture

Race 2

Religion

Social Commentary 3

War 1

Women 5

Group Pieces Two, Three, Two, two, five, two


Particularly notable was Chicago’s five-member group piece in which they shaped the microphones into a V to discuss the power of water (eg. Floods), from which they shifted into a discussion of global warming. I especially enjoyed the performance by Inner City from Oakland in which he used batteries as a metaphor for the struggles of young, particularly black men, in society. St. Paul’s final piece was also impressive; a discussion of religious intolerance, it was told as a memory in the voice of a child who didn’t quite understand, though the issue was all to apparent to the crowd.

The Baltimore team’s performance was solid, earning them third place. They presented the following pieces:

Ryan – Nerd Girl

Kyle – Virgin Man

Twain – Funk Poem

Chris Wilson – Pregnant Women


The overall results were as follows:

5. Oakland 112.7

4. St. Paul 112.8

3. Baltimore 113.6

2. Chicago 114.8

1. Charlotte 115.5

Only Charlotte would proceed to the next round of competition: finals.

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