Slam poetry examples pdf

Chicagos own marc kelly smith is often credited with creating slam poetry. Its important to know that ive spent a good portion of my life fighting heroin and opiate addiction, so i have written a lot of poetry about shooting heroin, going through withdrawal, life on the. Students discover the fun and flexibility of poetry through poetry slam examples, studying the elements of poetry, identifying the poetry in song lyrics, and writing their own odes. Last but certainly not least, once you think youre ready, sign yourself up for a slam poetry competition. We have some tricks that you can use to make your slam poem stand out from other. Draw connections between poetry that is written to be spoken and poetry that is written to be read. Read this cheat sheet to write your own slam poetryand learn how to wow. This fourpage worksheet serves as an overview of spoken word poetry and is useful for introducing this type of poetry to students. The name slam came from how the audience has the power to praise or, sometimes, destroy a poem. Slam poetry examples how to write a slam poem power poetry. A term from slam poetry that describes the poet who will perform after the next poet due on stage. It is performed at events called poetry slams, or simply slams.

Interested in using slam poetry examples in your classroom, but not sure which poem would best. Spoken word poetry is a performance art that can sound drastically different on page than on stage. How to write slam poetry writing spoken word poems power. For example, the topic of family might delve into how your. Slam poetry is a specific genre of writing that has become extremely popular in the last few years. Engage in group discussion in spoken word every word counts there is typically no such room for openended interpretation with spoken word. Digital poet 9 step guide on how to write slam poetry. Pdf the purpose of this study was to describe the slam poetry classroom. I probably had a verse for every hit i took at some point. Examples of spoken word and slam poetry by digital poet. We will also take a look at some examples of slam poems.

Slam poetry allows me to take that topic even a step further. Slam poetry, a form of performance poetry that combines elements of performance, writing, competition, and audience participation. Slam poetry ideas for students own writing will generate organically as students explore. For example, after each slam poet performs, the slammaster. When you think about poetry, what features come to mind. These are the corresponding slam poem videos and transcripts that go along with the identity and assumptions slam poetry unit plan. If youre scared, you can be slightly eased because the audience is forgiving. Use this guide to help you plan, write, and structure your spoken word poem. Spoken word poetry is a performance art that transcends the written form. For things like open mic nights, they know they arent there to see professionals.

While youre always welcome to read slam poems, ideally, this form of spoken word poetry is best appreciated when heard live during a performance. Spoken word poetry slam poetry worksheets teaching. Become a slam poet in five steps gayle danley youtube. To make the listener have to work for understanding is to lose the audience. Seven years ago i had no idea what slam poetry was. Its the perfect chunk of lessons to add slam poetry into a poetry unit, or to fill a week with engaging, meaningful content for students. One of the prominent elements, as mentioned earlier, is the passion that resonates in it. See the example transcripts prentice powell, prince ea, taylor mali. My slam poetry miniunit uses this lesson as one of 5 to take students through brainstorming, drafting, planning, and performing a meaningful slam poem, all in a week. While browsing the poetry here, please remember my work is primarily written in spoken word form. Great slam poetry ideas are interesting, personally meaningful, and storydriven. If youve never written spoken word before, you might feel overwhelmed, unsure where to start. The right blend of poetic devices are what make spoken word poems jump off a page and.

Create opportunities for studentcentered talk, analysis, and response to slam poetry. You mean you werent born with an innate ability to write poetry, combine it with performing arts techniques, and rhythmically. Students will begin a very exciting journey into the world of poems by learning the basic elements of poetry. Slam poetry is a little bit of an obsession of mine, and as a teacher that has taught grades 612 ela, im always scrolling through slam poems to find ones that are both inspiring, awesome, and appropriate for the age group. While a lot of people may associate poetry with famous literary figures known for antiquated language and topics that were controversial in the 15th and 16th centuries, there is a new wave of.

Try writing a letter to someone who has either passed or is no longer in your life. Without this passion, which will also reflect in the way it is recited, poetry written for a poetry slam is of no use. On a sheet of poster paper, list examples of these poetic devices from the poems youve looked at. Some easytofollow tips on how to write effective slam poetry. The ns readwriteslam poetry workshop objective american. The elements of slam poetry are not largely different from the basic elements of other poetry styles. The art of performance poetry, slam and the spoken word, by marc kelly smith and joe. Slam poetry 101 lauren yates san diego poetry examiner slam poetry is a specific genre of writing that has become extremely popular in the last few years.