Saul Williams performing "Amethyst Rock" in the movie Slam
Lamont Carey performing "I Can't Read" on HBO Def Jam Poetry (You Tube Link)
Taylor Mali performing "Like, You Know" on Def Jam.
Sonia Sanchez performing "Our Vision is Our Voice" (You Tube Link)
Amiri Baraka performing "Why is We Americans?"
Taylor Mali's "The The Impotence of Proofreading" is worth checking out. I don't know if this would be considered Def poetry, but it's pretty good anyway.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen slam poetry performed before, and I was incredibly interested in the musical quality that is put along with the words. It is not exactly what I would call rap or hip hop, but it can definitely be qualified in the same family as the two musical styles. There was a beat that the poet kept up throughout, with the exception of Taylor Mali's (there might have been a less obvious one that I did not notice as much as the others). I also liked how inflections of words were used within the poetry. There didn't seem to be any rules the poets were concerned about following, especially when words would be mispronounced in order to rhyme with a previous line or better emphasize the point of the poem. I think my favorite poet/performer was Saul Williams. He seemed to have the most energy, and it was amazing to watch him work himself into a frenzy while he was performing. I am definitely a fan of slam poetry after watching these performances.
ReplyDelete--Megan Lawson
Saul Williams. Yeah. He is amazing. He did a collaberation with Trent Reznor called Niggy Tardust. It's pretty crazy.
ReplyDeletehttp://youtube.com/watch?v=-7p8duVhT0I&feature=related
If copying and pasting the link does not work, just google it.
OK, capitalize the p in the url and it will work.
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of slam poetry before coming to this class. Now I'm just sorry I missed out on it all these years. The passion that these people perform with is intoxicating. It is obvious they truly love what they are talking about. My favorites were Taylor Mali and Saul Williams. Though Taylor's was more comical it still brought about a message that I believe every English major can attest to, something is definitely going wrong with our language. Whereas Saul Williams was energetic but serious. His dealt with issues that we try not to think about because they're too gruesome or difficult. He makes them more potent with the rhythm at which he discusses them.
ReplyDeleteI had the good fortune to hear slam poetry for the first time when RZ's brought Sean Patrick Conlon in for one of their poetry nights, and I've been hooked ever since. However corny it sounds, I truly feel that the impassioned delivery of slam poetry is a manifestation of the soul of the poet--you are hearing that person's soul. Slam poetry, rather than just poetry you'd read in an anthology or collection, takes the oral tradition of the poem and celebrates it--you really lose a lot when you can't listen to this type of poem rather than just read it. It reminds me of the Elizabethan times, in which you didn't "see" a play, but you rather "heard" a play. Slam poetry celebrates the exuberance of the human spirit and makes emotion tangible in the listener as well as the poet--literally tangible, as you physically feel those emotions in your chest while you're hearing the poem (or, if you're the poet, delivering it).
ReplyDeleteMy favorite, hands-down, has to be "I Can't Read." This poem is so resonant and poignant because of the problem it addresses. The need for not just educational, but also sociological reform in schools and homes of young students is a MAJOR issue, and one which many wish to disregard as a one-guilty-party issue. With "I Can't Read," the problem is made tangible--as I mentioned, you feel it in your chest. Saul Williams was also fantastic.
So, I love slam poetry. Reading words on paper don't come alive to me unless I see them performed in some way. It also helps me understand the message the writer is trying to convey. I love slam poetry because it is raw and intense, and there is an element of vulnerability. I also love it because it's uncut and controversial, and there are issues addressed that people would normally want to avoid talking about.
ReplyDeleteI love the pieces Amethyst Rocks and It's a Teenage Thang. I like how both pieces do not adhere to grammatical rules and punctuation. By not using them in their pieces, I feel that they are trying to break away from its constraints and write in free verse...emphasis on free. When I write poems or even essays of my own, I find that using proper grammar and punctuation constricting and that they limit me from being able to fully express myself without having to go back and see if I placed a comma in the right place or capitalized a proper noun.
Also, with Amethyst Rocks, after listening to it, I realized that I had gotten a whole different understanding from it opposed to when I had just read it. With It's a Teenage Thang, I thought it was amazing how the author could capture the atmosphere of rebellious teenage parties and passion and portray that through words, and even better through voice.
Wow, this is great. I've never explored slam poetry much as I've only been to a show or two previously. Amiri Baraka's "Why is We Americans?" was extremely moving. He moves between his spoken verse and musical sounds in such an integrated way; I really felt this resonate as his tone and inflection increased and he seemed to suddenly expand beyond racial rights, throwing a wishful net around the shoulders of all those in need of "reparations" today. WE, not US or THEM.
ReplyDeleteA few particular lines from Sonia Sanchez's performance really jumped out at me: "Are we not more than hunger and music? Are we not more than color or drums?" Made me think of our exploration into the distinctions of humanity during our discussions on The Road. Slam poetry's use of beats and meter evokes such a primitive oral tradition with deep roots which makes the exploration of humanity that much more effective.
I guess I have to disagree; even after some more exposure to slam poetry, it's still just not my cup of tea. I really don't know if I can pin down just one thing that bothers me--the tone of voice frequently used, the subject matter (which, Scram, I agree, is often shocking just to be shocking) or maybe just the aspect of competition. I find this all very strange because I really, really like hip hop, which is really not entirely different from slam poetry; they come from the same sources and really deal with the same subjects. Probably the musical aspects of hip hop appeal to me, as I really like bass sounds. I really have tried to give slam poetry a fair chance; I respect the people who write and enjoy it. It's just not my thing.
ReplyDeleteI used to love slam poetry, used to want to be a part of it. While my feelings have changed in the past couple of years, I still believe it's an important part of a continuing American literary tradition. For one thing, it's rebellious, and a little rebellion in a society is, in my opinion, a good thing. A major part of slam poetry is questioning precedents, whether they are political, cultural, sexual, what have you. These are things that always need to be questioned. Of course there are better venues for actually affecting change (because slam poetry seems to attract people of a certain mindset), but as a forum for pure expression, I think slam poetry might be the best there is.
ReplyDeleteHowever, slam poetry strikes me as a little irresponsible. I'm not sure it ought to be called poetry instead of a different kind of performance art. Slam poets get by with a lot that traditional poets just can't, and for this reason I think a lot of the beauty that really gets us about poetry is lost on the slam stage. There is a quality of writing that just isn't demanded or even expected of slam poetry, which often breaks my poetry-loving heart. I think we ought to think of slam poetry as a totally different form of art in order to preserve the great poetic tradition we already have in this country.
And...that being said, here is a Christian slam poet named Bradley Hathaway. He's pretty fun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJGwVBvJMPM
-Megan Blankenship
Slam poetry has never been a big interest to me, but the more I experience, my interest grows.
ReplyDeleteIt is one thing to read it and self-experience it, but to hear and see the emotion in the poet's face and voice bring the words to a new level. I got goose-bumps on Baraka's "Why is We Americans?". I was introduced to his work my Freshmen year and have always been interested in him, but this was the first time I had heard him perform anything.
I believe the musical aspect in most slam poetry is really important whether it be actual instruments playing or just the rhythm of the spoken word. For me, it sets the mood and pace for the performance.
Some of you may have noticed that I totally choked when I tried to "sell" slam poetry in class last week. There is a reason for this. Slam poetry is something I am teaching myself to appreciate for the sake of being a more well-rounded person. That is the reason I joined the Coffeehouse Committee, aside from the fact that those people are fun. I do not particularly love or hate Slam Poetry, listening to it and seeing it performed is just another way to pass the time. I watch too much TV and need to adopt more "intelligent" hobbies or whatever. It's sort of like when people who don't know anything about art go to an art museum; they're just there to take it in. Maybe they think it will make them smarter or something, who knows? For those of you who had Biology with me this semester; I am taking Dr. Robert's cultural advice and being interesting.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to pick a favorite out of the slam poets posted here it would be Taylor Mali, and some would probably say he is less of a poet and more of a comedian anyway. But that is what you get for asking someone who is not a true fan.
Ellie W.
I had heard of slam poetry coming into this class, but had never really heard it. Its interesting to say the least. I have to say that Amethyist rock sounds alot like a rap almost. The way he preforms angry is almost as if he has a strong problem with the issues he is talking about.I'm not quit sure if I enjoy all that encompasses slam poetry, but I agree with Ellie that I am trying to appreciate the new wave of poetry.
ReplyDeleteIts a way to get more involved with the culture on campus as well as the ideas of our generation. Its deffinately different but its quite interesting listening to the issues that each slam poet deals with.
I've never really takned an interest in slam poetry until we hear it in class last week. I never imagined myself going to a slam poetry performance, but now that we've begun to really look into the subjects discussed in these poems and how important the rhyme and rhythem are to that performance, I can see myself trying it out. You really can see all the cultural issues of today coming up in these slams. Like we discussed, it's a new way for all kinds of people to patricipate in this generation's literature. I guess I won't know how I really feel until I try one out for myself. I'm sure it's quite a different experience hearing one in person than listening to it on a recording.
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