Slam poetry is a vibrant form of performance poetry that fuses elements of performance, writing, competition, and audience interaction. It’s showcased at events known as poetry slams, where poets deliver their work with passion and energy. The term “slam” reflects the audience’s power to either celebrate or critique a poem, as well as the high-intensity performance style that defines this art form.
The Birth of Slam Poetry
The concept of What Is Slam Poetry took root in the 1980s in Chicago. Marc Kelly Smith, a local poet and construction worker, felt that traditional poetry readings had become stale and lacked genuine passion. He envisioned a way to bring poetry back to the people, making it more engaging and accessible.
Smith established a weekly event known as the poetry slam, open to anyone who wanted to participate. Poets would perform their original work, and then five randomly selected audience members would judge them on a scale of 0 to 10. The highest and lowest scores were discarded, and the remaining three scores were added together to determine the poet’s final score. The poet with the highest score at the end of the slam was declared the winner. This competitive element added excitement and encouraged poets to deliver their best performances.
Initially, the Get Me High Lounge on Chicago’s West Side hosted these poetry slams. After two years, the event relocated to the Green Mill, a renowned jazz club in the city’s Uptown neighborhood. It was at the Green Mill that the slam format solidified into the structure that many slams now follow.
Poetry Slam Guidelines: Setting the Stage
Poetry slams can occur in diverse venues, including parks, bookstores, coffeehouses, and bars, wherever there’s a welcoming space. While specific rules may vary, some general guidelines are commonly observed:
- Open to All: Anyone, regardless of age, race, sex, education, class, disability, gender, or sexuality, is welcome to compete. This inclusivity is a hallmark of slam poetry.
- Original Content: Poems typically must be the original creation of the performing poet. This emphasizes authenticity and personal expression.
- Time Limit: Poems usually have a 3-minute time limit (with a 10-second grace period). Exceeding the time limit results in point deductions, encouraging concise and impactful delivery.
- No Props: Performers cannot use props during their performances. This focuses attention on the poet’s words and delivery.
- Vocal Expression Allowed: No musical accompaniment or instruments are permitted, but poets can sing, clap, hum, or make sounds with their mouths or bodies. This allows for creative vocal expression while maintaining the focus on the spoken word.
- Solo or Group Performances: Poets can perform individually or collaborate in groups. This provides flexibility and opportunities for diverse performance styles.
Slam Poetry: An Artistic Movement and Cultural Force
Today, slam poetry is recognized as both an artistic movement and a genre of poetry and spoken word. This vibrant movement has inspired poetry slams worldwide and has influenced numerous facets of modern culture, including political movements, art, media, literature, and entertainment. Many poets who gained recognition through the slam circuit have also achieved success in traditional print publishing, including Patricia Smith, Andrea Gibson, and Danez Smith.
Marc Smith’s vision also led to the creation of the National Poetry Slam, an annual five-day competition held from 1990 to 2018. Teams of poets from cities across the United States and Canada competed for the title of the best in the genre. The documentary film SlamNation, released in 1998, followed the team of Saul Williams, Beau Sia, muMs da Schemer, and Jessica Care Moore at the 1996 National Poetry Slam finals. While the National Poetry Slam is no longer active, other slam competitions continue to thrive.
Although some poets find the competitive aspect of slam poetry unfair and the poems themselves too informal, slam poetry remains one of the most accessible and engaging forms of poetry available today. Its focus on performance, personal expression, and audience interaction has made it a powerful force in contemporary culture.
