What is a Poetry Slam?

A Poetry Slam is a judged competition where participants read or recite original poetry or lyrics. Poetry slams feature a wide range of voices, styles, cultural traditions, and approaches to writing and performance. This style is known as "spoken word": poems are expressively and rhythmically performed, but not theatrically acted.

Format and Scoring

Poet's read one poem per round and scores are given after each poem. Props, costumes or music are not allowed and a time limit of 3 minutes per poem is generally set. The poet's performance is judged on a numerical scale by members of the audience.

Poets in the Park will be scored on a scale of 1 to 10 by judged by five audience members selected by the emcee. The scores for each round are calculated by dropping the highest and lowest score and adding the remaining scores together. Final scores are calculated by averaging each participant's scores from all rounds. If you only participate in 1 round, then your score from that round will be your final score.

History

The Poetry Slam was established in the mid-1980s as a means to heighten public interest in poetry readings. Since then, spoken word has evolved into an international art form emphasizing audience involvement and poetic excellence.[1]

Construction worker and poet Marc Smith is credited with starting the poetry slam at the Get Me High Lounge in Chicago in November 1984. The first National Poetry Slam took place in 1990 in San Francisco, involving spoken word artists from Chicago, San Francisco and New York. The National Poetry Slam currently features approximately 75 certified teams each year, culminating in five days of competition.[2]

Spoken word and the Poetry Slam have roots in urban and hip-hop culture.

Reference: 1. www.slampapi.com 2. Poetry Slam, Inc.

Poets in the Park Slam Rules:

1. Read 1 piece of poetry per round. There will be 2-3 rounds depending on participation.

2. Time limit is 3 minutes per poem. Time limit may be adjusted depending on the number of participants.

3. No props, costumes or music allowed. You may read from a piece of paper.

4. Be creative. Be yourself. Have fun with it!

Writing and Performing Poetry

Want to participate but need some help getting started? Here are some tips on writing poetry and how to perform it.

Poetry Writing Tips

• Go some place new or different to write: the unfamiliar often sparks creativity.
• Make observations of the things around you using all of your senses: sight, sound, touch, taste and smell.
• Make abstract things concrete. Don’t write about love; write about what love looks like.
• Draft. Don’t go with how the words come out the first time. Play with moving them around, adding, deleting or repeating.
• Experiment with rhyme.
• Write about what you know.

Poetry Performing Tips

• Memorize your poem; it will grab your audience’s attention better if you can make eye contact.
• How do you memorize? Write out your poem several times. Read over it again and again. Memorize it bit by bit, adding more lines until you have the whole thing down.
• Practice the pace, or speed, you recite the poem. Don’t speak too fast or too slow.
• Experiment with inflection and emphasis. What words should stand out?
• Speak loud enough so that all the audience members can hear you.
• Enunciate and speak clearly. You want to make sure every word is heard.
• Practice when you will pause and how long you will pause.
• Will gestures or movement add to your performance or distract you or the audience? If you use gestures, be sure to rehearse them.
• Practice, practice, practice!
• Be confident.

Intro to Poetry Slam Class on April 25
at the Eagan Community Center

In celebration of National Poetry Month, Caponi Art Park and Learning Center is hosting a spoken word master class on Monday, April 25 from 4 - 6 p.m. at the Eagan Community Center. The workshop is free and open to teens and adults (a $5 donation is suggested and helps to make this event possible).

Sierra DeMulder, a nationally renowned and experienced poet, will help you dive headfirst into your writing. DeMulder, who has featured in hundreds of venues across the country, is also an experienced teacher, conducting weekly poetry classes geared towards aspiring poets of all ages in the Twin Cities community. Her invaluable performance tips will help you step up on your speaking skills. To register for this introduction to poetry and performance, call Caponi Art Park at 651.454.9412 or visit www.caponiartpark.org for more details.

Teens interested in performing at Caponi Art Park's annual Poets in the Park Teen Poetry Slam on Sunday, May 15 at 2 p.m., are encouraged to participate in this spoken word workshop. Poets in the Park is open to teens ages 13-19 and takes place in the Theater in the Woods amphitheater. Poets will compete for prizes, and enjoy performances by artists Cynthia French, Thadra Sheridan, and The New Heist Crew break dancers.