Slam poetry and rap go together like milk and breakfast cereal. Mastering the art of slam poetry will help you to become a better rapper as it will lay the foundations of writing your own work and performing it in front of a live audience.
The preparation for slam events will also help you grasp rhythm and tempo, while developing a better understanding of crafting words, performing live and emotionally expressing yourself like rappers do through their songs.
Let’s see how you can write and use slam poetry on the road towards becoming a better lyricist.
Slam Poetry Definition
What is a poetry slam?
Slam poetry is generally a competition where poets perform spoken word in front of a panel of judges. It can however also just be a public event in front of an audience with the objective of creating new interest, passion and development of poetry in the youth and young people.
Some slam poetry events make use of background music with a beat, but the poet can read to their own set rhythm and the music is only there to create ambience. Beginner slam poets might use the existing works of famous poets, but it becomes a fascinating, expressive art form once the poet starts to write and deliver their own personal thoughts and social commentary.
Works of identity, love and difficulty are stitched together with emotion and carefully rhythmic delivery, moving people to tears while they contemplate the things that we humans struggle with.
Listening to Slam Poetry
To become a good slam poet, you have to understand what slam poetry is all about? Just like listening to as much rap music as possible if you want to be a rap star, diving into the world of slam poetry and attending rap events will make you a better slam poet.
Every slam poet and artist has their own, unique approach. Your exposure to a variety of different artists and styles will show you the endless possibilities around creating unique messaging. You will also see how people can interpret the same message in different ways, learning the importance of delivery and how saying the same words in different ways could lead to a change in meaning and impact.
Analysing Slam Poetry
Mastering slam poetry will help you become an expert crafter of words set to a rhythm. It might not be a beat, but words and lyrics have an underlying rhythm when they are being spoken. It is this underlying current that draws listeners in and gives the poem the feel of a story.
Your analysis of how the words are being put together, how the story gets set-up first, concluded and reiterated in certain phrases, the form of rhyme used or rhyme style and structure are all ways in which good writers enrich their poetry. Also pay attention to the vocabulary, the slang words used and whether you notice any clichés during your analysis of the written words.
The analysis of slam poetry is not only in the actual ways in which words are being used to tell a story, but also in the way they are delivered or spoken. Notice where the poet decides to highlight certain sections, pause for dramatic effect, speed sections up and make use of techniques like:
- Intonation
- Pronunciation
- Rhyming
- Rhythm
Breaking down words into syllables is a useful technique to understand how words can flow to a rhythm. This is a transferrable skill you can learn from slam poets and apply to your rap. Read this article if you want to learn more about becoming a rapper.
Performing Slam Poetry
There’s nothing like taking your place on stage and performing for the first time.
Slam poetry will give you the opportunity to test the delivery of your poetry in front of an audience.
Beginners can pick an existing poem that passionately fuels and excite them. In your delivery the audience have to sense how it makes you feel, so much so that you need to move them emotionally too. Words without meaning are empty and simply just words, so your delivery will make even weak poetry come to life.
Perfecting the art of performing slam poetry will help you become a better performer. You’ll learn how to manage the stress of being in front of an audience, how to read the room and how audiences respond to certain messages and ways of delivery.
Writing Slam Poetry
The best slam poets are the ones who manage to make an impact on the world through their usage of words. Writing your own slam poetry will make you a better lyricist and writer of rap lyrics. A good song usually have a beginning, middle and end, but they all start with a good topic or theme.
Choose a Relevant Topic
What do you want to talk about and deliver social commentary on? Slam poetry topics can be anything you want it to be - racism, inequality, love, food, etc. The topics people use to create art are those that are generally the most current and relevant issues in the world.
If you feel strongly about something chances are someone else will too. Doing a slam poetry event to test your content is an effective way to get feedback before you invest more energy into refining it or even making it a rap song.
Writing Your Poetry
Writing for the first time can be a bit scary, so take all the pressure off yourself and do it for fun. Take your pen and booklet to a place where you feel inspired and write down all your thoughts as and when they come. You can make use of mind-mapping and other creative techniques to first brainstorm your topic.
It’s important to allow yourself free rein in the beginning of the process. The creative and brainstorming phase is all about possibilities and don’t be too critical, too soon. You can start to analyse ideas and become critical once you have a framework and a skeleton of ideas to work with.
If you want to eventually rap you’ll learn that some writers start their writing by working on the chorus first. Generally a verse is the exposition of your poem, giving the background, while the chorus is the core message.
Enrich Your Poem
Crafting your poetry and words is what might take your writing from good to world-class. Writing and re-writing while you make use of clever phrasing and techniques like alliteration and internal rhyming will give your slam poetry a competitive advantage.
Be sure you evaluate the vocabulary you use and try not to use the same words over and over again, unless you are doing so for dramatic effect. Avoid simple and repetitive rhyming, but be sure that whichever form of rhyming you choose makes sense and is still appealing to listeners. This article on common rap mistakes to avoid might also guide you if you plan to one day write rap lyrics and music.
Take your listeners on a journey with your writing. Use metaphors, similes, imagery and other smart techniques to paint vivid pictures in people’s minds and and allow direct association with the experience.
The more you get into writing the more you’ll realise the amount of apps, books and resources that can help you with the process. A writing tutor will also be able to help you with the analysis of rhyming structure and the smart application of rhyming in your slam poetry.
Testing Your Poetry
How do you know that whatever you have written is actually good?
Testing it with your friends and family can be a good first base, but in most instances they will tell us only the good as they want to be supportive. Getting an objective opinion from a professional writer or singer will be your next step.
One of the best ways to test your slam poetry is in front of a live audience. You will be able to notice how people feel about the content. Were you able to move the audience emotionally or did you bore them? Be sure you differentiate between the poetry and the actual delivery of it, asking people for specific feedback on those.
A Singing Tutor or Writing Tutor
If you need the help of an experienced singer, writer or teacher, Superprof has a range of private tutors that can help you write your own poetry or give you input and feedback on how you can improve your delivery and performance.
You can browse and compare their skills online, see their rates, read reviews by some of their previous students and book your first class, all on our online platform. You can decide whether you prefer online classes or in-person classes as Superprof will show you tutors in your area first. Be sure you discuss your objectives, needs and dreams with the tutor to ensure they make the most out of your lessons.
The first lesson is usually for free. So, what are you waiting for? Get your first poem crafted, ready and perfect for the first slam.
Book your singing or writing tutor today.
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