Spoken-word poet - Video review Unspoken Word

The Unspoken Word

Last updated: March 26th, 2019

When most people think about poetry, past greats such as Wordsworth, Keats, Dickinson and Plath come to mind. But one contemporary form of poetry that has become popular within the last decade or so, especially among youths, is spoken-word poetry. Spoken-word poetry can be just as powerful as written poetry, if not more powerful. The two types are not mutually exclusive, anyhow—often, spoken-word poems begin in written form, and even if they don’t, they are sometimes put into writing after being recited.

The 2012 documentary The Unspoken Word follows the activities of Atlanta Word Works, an American spoken-word poetry group for young adults, as the group practices for and competes at slam poetry competitions. The spoken-word poems recited often deal with sensitive subjects that aren’t frequently discussed in everyday conversations, such as sexual assault or political conflicts. As the poets speak and emote, their audiences are moved along with them. As well as allowing the poets’ emotions to shine through their words, the spoken-word medium allows poets to use voice inflections, intonations and rhythms for effect, which can provoke even greater reactions from an audience.

Although most of the poets featured within the film are non-Caucasians, people of all ethnicities are participating in spoken-word poetry activities these days. For those not inclined to competition, more casual open-mic poetry nights are run in many major cities and even smaller towns. They’re especially popular on or near university and college campuses. The subject matter of the poems vary—while some poets don’t want to present anything particularly groundbreaking or controversial, many participate for the opportunity to voice their thoughts to a group and have them be accepted and appreciated. For some, spoken-word poetry nights are the only place where they are able to satisfy this need.

Watch The Unspoken Word here:  

Read about a poet’s reflection on the art in A POET AT HIS OWN MEMORIAL: Validation through hearing your work without knowing it’s yours>>

[su_panel background=”#f2f2f2″ color=”#000000″ border=”0px none #ffffff” shadow=”0px 0px 0px #ffffff”]by Erica Roberts

image: Very Quiet (Creative Commons BY-NC-SA—no changes)

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