SLAM
STUDENT POETRY: BARDS ROCK ON!
CHICAGO POET, MARC SMITH, STARTED SLAM POETRY IN
1986.
SLAM POETRY IS DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT FROM OTHER POETRY BECAUSE IT
RELIES ON THE POET’S WRITING AND PERFORMANCE SKILLS TO CREATE ITS
IMPACT.
ANYONE WITH A NEWSPAPER AND LITTLE BIT OF SOCIAL SAVY CAN CREATE
AN ORIGINAL SLAM! PIECE.
SLAM! RULES:
ALL WORK MUST BE ORIGINAL, OR PERISH
NO PROPS, COSTUMES, MUSIC
THREE-MINUTE TIME LIMIT PER POEM
TO
SLAM!
OR NOT TO SLAM!
?
CLIP OUT A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE OF INTEREST TO YOU
COMPOSE AN ORIGINAL POEM (FREE-STYLE) BASED ON THE
ARTICLE
SHARE YOUR POEM IN A PERFORMANCE STYLE THAT IS YOUR OWN. (TURTLES,
YOU MUST EXIT YOUR SHELL TO DO THIS. DRAMA QUEENS LET THE WORDS DO
SOME OF THE WORK, SO YOUR AUDIENCE DOESN’T THROW-UP)
WINNING CLASSROOM SLAMMERS CAN BE CHOSEN BASED ON
POET’S ABILITY TO USE WORDS, MOTION OR EMOTION TO CONNECT WITH
AUDIENCE.
SHAKESPEARE, TAKE A NUMBER.
