The Importance and Evolution of Spoken Word Poetry

Marc Nair — Thu, 23 Aug 2018 13:06:32 GMT

Current Revision posted to Styles by Marc Nair on 8/23/2018 1:06:32 PM

Spoken word is a performance art that focuses on the aesthetics of word play. It can encompass or contain elements of rap, hip-hop, storytelling, theater, and jazz, rock, blues, and folk music. For award-winning poet Marc Nair, spoken word sits in an interesting space between monologues, stand-up comedy, and poetry. While standard poetry is very formal in structure, spoken word breaks away a bit and is known as the "wild child" of poetry, he says. Performance poetry and poetry slams started in Chicago in the 1980's in response to this reputation. In Singapore where Nair is based, spoken word has continued to grow in popularity since the early 2000's. As a founding member of Singapore's spoken word troupe Party Action People, Nair believes spoken word continues to be an important medium because of the platform it provides to artists, and the experiences it provides to the audience. These performances allow people who would otherwise avoid poetry to experience it through an enjoyable medium. For Nair, spoken word provides the opportunity to see and appreciate audience reactions.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../The-Importance-and-Evolution-of-Spoken-Word-Poetry.mp4

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