Poetry Slam

Poetry slam, eller spoken word som det även kallas, är en form av estradpeosi som fokuserar på uttrycket och att skapa en stark känsla mellan poet och publik. Ämnena som behandlas kan vara vitt skilda, oftast är innehållet samhällskritiskt i både stort och smått men det kan också vara personligt och nära. Man jobbar mycket med röst, uttryck, gester, och om man gör sitt spoken word tillsammans med en annan person, så handlar det även om ett stort samspel och en synkad koordination/gester. Den här formen av poesi är mycket uppskattad och skapar ofta ett stort intresse och engagemang. Du ska nu studera olika poetry slams och sedan skapa din egen ”slam” som du framför inför publik.

Hur?

 

1.       Vi går igenom den pedagogiska planeringen.

2.       Vi inleder med att se några olika poetry slams tillsammans i klassrummet och tittar därefter på vad dessa poeter vill uttrycka och på vilket sätt de gör det/vilka tekniker de använder. Ni får se exempel på strategier ni kan använda er utav i er egen roll som estradpoet. 

3.       Ni får en egen uppgift på 2 lektioner som går ut på att:

 

Listen to a lot of different "slams" (youtube; search for ex button poetry or spoken word) and try to identify different themes in the videos you see. Find one that you really like - a "slam" that speaks to you. Analyze:

• What is the "slam" about? What theme does it embrace? 
• What is the meaning/purpose/vision of the slam? What does the poet want to convey?
• How does the poet work with intonation, voice capacity, body language, and what does that do to the actual "slam"? What does the "slam"/the performance gain from using these specifics?

Now show your specific "slam" to your group and discuss your analysis about it - step by step - letting everyone have their say and opinion as well.

 

4.       Du ska nu välja om du vill arbeta ensam med din poetry slam eller om du vill jobba tillsammans med en annan person.

5.       Fundera nu kring ett ämne som din poetry slam ska handla om. Utgå från dig själv, dina tankar och känslor eller vidga perspektivet och fundera kring vad som påverkar och engagerar dig allmänt i samhället. Som nämnt tidigare kan en ”slam” vara samhällskritisk och belysa en orättvisa, ett systemfel eller ett problem som finns. Eller så tänker du kring vad just du brinner för, vad som engagerar dig, något du inte kan ”släppa”, tankar och känslor som du har kring dig själv, din person, din/vår existens osv osv. Det viktiga är att du hittar ett ämne som verkligen står dig nära och som väcker känslor inuti dig; känslor som vill fram, som vill synas, som vill ut!

6.       Nu när du valt ämne ska du planera innehållet. Vad är det du vill säga/förmedla med din slam? Följ riktlinjerna nedan och skriv din dikt:

HOW TO WRITE SLAM POETRY

1.     Make your poetry slam original. The written piece must be original. The story being performed needs to be your own work. No plagiarism is allowed.

2.     Pay attention to time. Each poet has 3 minutes to perform. While practicing your poem, time yourself to make sure you do not go over the time limit.

3.     Keep it simple and relatable. Your poem should be able to reach your audience the first time it’s heard. Read and perform it for family & friends before the presentation or competition. Ask them what is clear and what is not. As mentioned above choose themes and subjects that many people can relate to, like relationships, politics, religion, insecurity, family-social issues, etc. Your poem should be clear and convey a message.

4.     Perform with rhythm and passion. Your poem should have a rhythm that shows through your passionate performance. A slam poem moves the audience through different moods. How the poem is performed is at least as important as the content if not more. If performance isn't your strong suit, try out some of our tips for reading your poems out loud and get advice on stage fright from other slam poets.

 

Five easy steps on making poetry slam:

 

1. Do Your Homework. To know what makes slam poetry effective, you need to see a lot of it performed. Attend a poetry slam at a local coffee shop or bookstore. If you can\'t find one, head to YouTube.com, type in "slam poetry videos" and you\'ll be amazed by the quantity, quality, and variety that you’ll find. Take notes on which slam poems you like best and why they made an impression. 

2. Choose a Topic. Identify an event, person, or issue that evokes a passion in you. It could be a trip that changed the way you look at life. Maybe you recently fell in love or went through a bad breakup. Or, perhaps you\'re determined to do whatever you can to fight animal cruelty. When you\'re fired up, emotions and words are more likely to flow out of you.

3. Put Your Words on Paper. Use your five senses to create a first draft. Write down what you see, hear, taste, touch, and smell when you think about your topic. Details are key when it comes to painting a vivid picture through slam poetry, so always ask yourself: "could I be more specific?" For instance, instead of writing "I drank a glass of water," write "I sipped on an ice-cold glass of water with a pinch of lemon that was so tart, it made me cringe." Craft your words into short stanzas that lend themselves to a natural rhythm and feel free to use rhyme if you feel like it.

4. Edit yourself. When editing, read your poem out loud. If you find yourself stumbling over certain lines that are clunky or too long, that\'s when you know that a section probably needs to be cut, changed, or moved. It may help to use an online thesaurus if you\'re looking for synonyms to replace certain words.

5. Add a Little Drama. Remember, you\'re not just reading your poem out loud—you\'re performing! The goal is to get the audience to audibly react (i.e. laugh, cry, gasp, snap, clap, yell "yeah!") to increase your score. So look for ways to increase the drama. Are there moments where you can whisper or shout? Are there places where you can speed up or slow down? Can you throw in facial expressions or bodily movements to illustrate your main messages?