Me Myself & I 'SLAM POETRY'

"If you can dream it, you can do it" - Walt Disney

Background: freepik

STEP 3PUT YOUR WORDS ON PAPER

STEP 1DO YOURRESEARCH

STEP 4EDIT YOURSELF

STEP 2CHOOSEA TOPIC

spokenpoetry

written poetry

guidelines, tips & examples

step 5add a littledrama

performed poetry

examples of 3 basic steps

When editing, read your poem out loud If you find yourself stumbling over certain lines that are clunky or too long, that's when you know that a section probably needs to be cut, changed, or moved. It may help to use an online thesaurus if you're looking for synonyms to replace certain words. Keep it simple and relatable Your poem should be clear, convey a message and reach your audience the first time it’s heard. Read and perform it for family & friends before competing. Ask them what is clear and what is not. Pay attention to time You have 3 minutes to perform. While practicing your poem, time yourself to make sure you do not go over the time limit.

To know what makes slam poetry effective, you need to see a lot of it performed. Head to YouTube and you'll be amazed by the varietyof slam poetry videos that you’ll find. Take notes on which slam poems you like best and why they made an impression.

Be original The story being told in your poem needs to be your own work.Identify an event, person, or issue that evokes a passion in you. It could be a trip that changed the way you look at life. Maybe you recently fell in love or went through a bad breakup. Or, perhaps you're determined to do whatever you can to fight animal cruelty. When you're fired up, emotions and words are more likely to flow out of you.

Use your five senses to create a first draft. Write down what you see, hear, taste, touch, and smell when you think about your topic. Details are key when it comes to painting a vivid picture through slam poetry, so always ask yourself: "could I be more specific?" For instance, instead of writing "I drank a glass of water," write "I sipped on an ice-cold glass of water with a pinch of lemon that was so tart, it made me cringe." Craft your words into short stanzas that lend themselves to a natural rhythm and feel free to use rhyme if you feel like it ...

It is a performance Remember, you're not just reading your poem out loud—you're performing! The goal is to get the audience to audibly react (i.e. laugh, cry, gasp, snap, clap, yell "yeah!") to increase your score. So look for ways to increase the drama.Are there moments where you can whisper or shout? Are there places where you can speed up or slow down? Can you throw in facial expressions or bodily movements to illustrate your main messages?You should perform your poem with rhythm and passion. A slam poem moves the audience through different moods. How the poem is performed is at least as important as the content.If performance isn't your strong suit, watch some poets performing on stage to get some ideas and practice, practice, practice