Urban poetry expresses feelings and experiences related to life in urban communities, often focusing on poverty, social injustice, stress, struggles, and survival. It can vary in length, meter, and pace, and is not always set to music. Urban poetry has existed for centuries and is popular in India. It often condemns social injustice and tells personal stories to raise awareness of urban issues. It is frequently performed live and recorded as audio rather than printed.
Urban poetry is a literary art form in which poetry is used to express feelings or to share experiences related to life in urban communities. Common themes include poverty, social injustice, stress, struggles and survival. As with many other forms of poetry, it is common for the lines of an urban poem to rhyme, but it is not always necessary. Even urban poetry can vary in length, meter and pace. These poems are not set to music, although music might be played in the background during a live performance or urban poetry reading.
Although many people take the term “urban” to refer to modern cities filled with brick and steel structures, large expanses of asphalt and concrete, flashing lights, and hundreds of thousands of people, forms of urban poetry have sprung from cities for centuries. Although cities have become more modern, many of the conditions that inspire urban poets are much the same as they were hundreds of years ago. For example, urban poetry has been popular in India for several centuries.
A dominant theme of urban poetry is the condemnation of social injustice. Modern urban poets tend to focus on issues that negatively affect the lives of minorities. Rather than expressing an opinion on an issue, many urban poems tell the story of someone who lives in a city, which allows the reader or listener to gain a better understanding of urban issues by learning of the narrator’s personal experiences dealing with such issues. For example, a poem about a loved one who is an innocent victim of a violent crime can send a message about a type of problem that people living in an urban community may be facing. Another urban poet might face the same problem by writing a poem calling for an end to violence or better police protection.
While urban poetry may be fictional, it typically deals with a topic or situation that the poet has personally experienced. The motivation to face unjust or difficult situations that the poet has experienced often leads to strong emotions from both the poet and the audience, particularly during a live performance. Some people believe that urban poetry is more appropriate as a spoken art form than literature. Thus, this type of poetry is frequently found as audio recordings rather than in books or other printed materials. Live performances are common, including “open mic nights” – or “open mic nights” – during which both seasoned and new urban poets are invited to share their craft.
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