I have always loved poetry. When I was younger, I started writing down my thoughts on a daily basis. When I would reread what I had written, I realized that I had a poetic way with words. I have dozens of journals that are filled with my poetry, and I have studied other poets’ works as well. I thought that was really all I could do, but it was enough for me. Imagine my surprise the first time I heard of a poetry slam then. I thought it was something negative at first, but it didn’t take very long to get me on board with the idea.

It is merely a competition in which poets must perform what they have written. The judges are simply the members of the audience. I have always enjoyed acting too, so this was right up my alley. The rules are really simple, and I have won a few of them. There is nothing better than to have others appreciate not only my poetry, but to see that they are interpreting my performance in the right way.

The really neat thing is that there are slams all across the country. Read more »

Slam poetry started in 1984 in a club in Chicago. Modern day, there is much of a split as to whether or not people are a fan of this form of poetry competition. Some people have found it to be rather antagonistic and similar to that of a football tournament.

What exactly is slam poetry? Often referred to as poetry slam, it is a competition in which a given poet recites a work of original poetry or a piece written by another poet. Then, the pieces of poetry that were recited are given a number and judged by pre-selected members of the audience.

Most types of poetry slams are open to the public without invitation. Although there are invitational slams, most are available for everyone. Themed slams are sometimes also held in which a given theme is provided to encourage poets to share one of a kind works. Themed poetry slams are often restricting, but it can help underrated demographics present their poetry.

The worst problem with poetry slams is that the poet is at the mercy of the audience. No poet is perfect and there is no piece of poetry beyond criticism. Read more »