Digital image. John G. Rives, Web. 24 Jan. 2010. The week immediately following winter break’s end, brought Palisades Charter High School a pleasant surprise. Two Brown seniors, Phil and Sarah Kay(e), performed and talked about spoken word poetry in Mercer Hall.
Through a mix of comedic and serious works, the audience learned of Phil and Sarah’s strange coincidences, their “Thelma and Louise” type friendship, and, most importantly, the art of spoken word. So what is spoken word? It is anything that cannot be simply read—it must be performed. It could be a speech, stand up comedy, poetry, a rap, a song…nearly anything.
A good rule of thumb to follow is to make sure the writing has concrete details. A reader or audience will be able to connect much better to the work and in effect, the performance would be that much more powerful. As an example, I’ve pasted an excerpt from one of my poems below.
Pupils rot in cages
Knowledge bounces off the walls
The desk feels smooth against my forehead
The concrete details, such as the walls and the desk, bring the poem to life. Nearly anyone forced to sit through hours of classes can empathize with the emotions in the passage.
Some of the best examples of Spoken Word are performed by George Watsky, John G. Rives, and of course, the great Robin Williams. This art is everywhere if one just takes the time to see it.
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