Slam poetry relies heavily on vocal delivery and is presented in a competitive format called the Poetry Slam. Poets are judged on content, style, originality, and rhythm. Slams can be open or invitation-only and can have themes or be open to the poet’s discretion. Critics have criticized the slam’s raucous atmosphere, but slammers appreciate the freedom to create transcendent forms of poetry judged by audience reaction rather than traditional standards.
While many genres of poetry employ the use of the spoken word to convey meaning, no genre relies as much on vocal delivery as slam poetry. A relatively recent movement within the world of poetry, slam poetry revolves around loud and distinct vocal presentation, thus lending itself to a more rhythmic, almost musical creation. The forum where these poets present their work is a competitive performance called the Poetry Slam.
The format of a Poetry Slam can vary according to the competition, but the general elements generally remain the same: poets are given a certain amount of time in which to submit their pieces and then they are judged on a set scale based on content, style, originality, rhythm and other artistic criteria. Because the competition emphasizes vocal delivery and thematic presentation over visual flash, props are generally banned from the competition – this includes costumes, specific stage and lighting performances, and music or video. Judges are typically chosen at random from the slam audience, and the only way to advance to a later round is by appealing to the tastes of the audience. Thus, the slam poem can transform its identity according to the audience watching the performance.
In many cases, there may be a theme for a slam poem, while in other cases slams may be thematically open to the poet’s discretion. Regardless of format, slams can be conducted either in an “open” format, in which any poet from the audience can attend as long as time permits, or as an invitation-only affair with previously determined poets facing each other.
Poetry slam differs from other poetry readings in several distinct ways. For example, poetry competitions are by nature competitive, while regular poetry readings exist simply for the public to take up the art form. This difference has led to significant criticism from the poetry community at large, citing the slam’s raucous atmosphere which some critics have lamented for emphasizing entertainment over art or literary content. However, this difference provides the distinction most slammers applaud: slam poetry can be political, cultural, free verse, structured, musical, monotonous, lyrical, ironic, and so on, thus allowing the poet to create a transcendent form of the label. . In fact, many slam poets refer to genre because a poem’s value is judged by the audience’s reaction to it, rather than a rigid set of rules established by hundreds of years of poetic standards.
A controversial facet of the poetic community, the Poetry Slam offers a vibrant presentation and hands-on approach for audiences to enjoy poetics and poetic performance.
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