Reminder: Most of you did not have a chance to finish the article quiz during class on Friday. Remember this is due when we come back to school on Tuesday!
One of the options for your Poetry Reading on Finals day is Slam Poetry.
Watch the examples of Slam Poetry below and make comments about your favorite ones and/or parts. Notice word choice, delivery, creativity, and especially, the message. Give each presentation a chance as slam poetry often starts out silly, strange, or quirky, and then gains momentum, and finally drives home the point at the very end.
At least one post is due by Sunday, 1/15, at midnight. Enjoy! And start thinking about your original poem! Might you do slam poetry??
What is cool and not cool:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO-7nO9Lb-c&feature=BF&list=PL09E01F70F8A5D0AD&index=39
Nerds are our Future:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpW-xoCkRFE
Hands: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuAbGJBvIVY
Teachers (my favorite, of course) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxsOVK4syxU&feature=related
What has happened to the way we speak?http://www.youtube.com/watchv=SCNIBV87wV4&feature=related
The word Prettyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7TS2Z6lAI4&feature=related
Ahh!! I have to start off by saying that slam poetry is absolutley my favorite! After doing it last year, I feel like im almost addicted to it. I just love how there are no boundaries with slam poetry, and you can form it to whatever format you want. You can speak slow, fast, comedic, or give a more serious tone. I must say also, that I i’ve watched these videos several times before this last year. My two favorites though were “teacher” and “pretty.” I love teacher just simply because what he says about teachers is so true. Teachers really do have a great impact on kids lives, and many people may not realize it. It’s also nice to notice how simple some of the hand gestures are, but they make such a great impact, especially at the end of teacher when he points to his head, heart, and then holds up the middle finger. In pretty, i just really love the whole message. The idea that many women change who they truley are just to be “pretty” and fit in, when they are so much more than just beauty. The end is really amazing in this video to when giving examples of being “pretty…smart” etc. With slam poetry i feel like you can just really open up and speak what your pasionate about, with no boundaries or limitations.
I watched all slam poetry examples and compared them . In my previous English class we studied and did slam poetry, so i know about it some what. There were two videos i really liked and thought were really interesting. The video about teachers kept my attention very well and i really like the message that he was sending out. That every job everyone takes isn’t just about the salary, and he describes what he gives to his students and what teachers really do,that video was my favorite out of all. Also the last video “pretty” caught my attention right away. I really understood the message she was sending out, its not all about looks and the society and our world is so sucked up into looking “pretty, & attractive”. Her video is very eye opening and i appreciated her message she sent out.
All the slam poetry examples have their own unique styles. For the first one, “What is Cool and Not Cool,” I liked the use of parallel structure. I also really liked how he engaged the audience by having them join in with the poetry. Also, the high school girl presenting her slam poetry on the nerds of our future was very impressive. I liked how she sped up really fast to recite some of the lines, while for others she read them slow to get a different feeling. The messages in all the poetry examples were also very powerful. The way they spoke how they really felt, and didn’t just try to make it sound good was also intriguing. I have never really listened to slam poetry before and I feel a new respect for it.
I personally loved the “Teacher” slam poem/poet. I’ve actually seen this one multiple times and I always believe it to be one of the strongest ones I have ever watched/ heard. I notice the message at the beginning of the video, but you don’t feel the emotion until the end, that is why I love this one. Taylor Mali incorporates almost every possible feeling into his performances, he gives his writings life. The best part in his slam (personally) is when he talks about the dinner table and the question that was asked…”what do you make?” … And his basic answer was “I make a difference.” What I got from it was that Mali is simply saying that a large figure in your check doesn’t mean that your job is great, numbers are simply numbers; but when you help get a child to college or just help him/her with his/her homework, you just made a difference. A desk jockey won’t. Teachers are not given the credit they deserve, they are belittled, but they truly change our lives.
I watched all of the slam poetry videos and first I thought the “What is cool and not cool” was really interesting. I thought a lot of the stuff that he slammed like telling your kids how much they mean to you was “cool” and that walking next to a lady not in front of her was “cool.” “Nerds are out future” was really cool to watch and listen to because she starts out kind of slow and just reading her slam, but then she starts to go really fast and even rap some of it and it rhymed which I thought was really awesome. I like how she kept repeating “I want to write a poem for the…”. I really enjoyed the teachers one because he had so much energy and you could tell that he really had passion for what he does and what he was talking about. The one about speaking I think really relates to how teenagers talk, we say “like” way to often and sometimes you can tell and others you can’t. When we say “ya know?” we aren’t really asking for an answer, we just feel like we have to say it too get a response from the person we’re talking to. I really liked watching the “pretty” one because society today definitely gives people the screwed up idea of what “pretty” really is. No one really knows what it means or who has it. I think that slam poetry is a very interesting and entertaining way to perform and write poetry.
I found that some of the poems were very good and some of them I didn’t like. My two favorites poem out of six was Hands and Pretty. In Hands I like how she said that hands are like maps and compass to the future and the scare tell story, in Pretty at first I couldn’t tell where she was going but at the end I love how she said that she would tell her daughter that she isn’t pretty because pretty is unworthy. In has happened to the way we speak? Thought it was co that he said that it uncool to sound like you know tings. I feel that he right at how world has become these day. The teacher one was ok I didn’t like his laugh but I though it was good in end when he make kids work harder, sit though 40 mints silent and how parents trembling in fear. Not cool was bad in the beginning but at the end I like how he said that it cool that cell phones silent, given child respect, walk with women, how father walk with his son, and treat people with respect. I didn’t like well it was to fast to catch what she was saying.
Last year I learned about slam poetry, and even had to perform it in class. I really enjoyed watching the performances that my fellow classmates would put on for us. The watching was better than the performing for me. I really like the “What is Cool and Not Cool” video because I found it very interesting, and It grabbed my attention. I connected with what he was saying and the message overall was great. Also I liked how he got the audience involved. Slam poetry can be very entertaining because there are so many variations of tone of voice, hand gestures, the speed of talking, and the loudness of your voice. This is what makes it so great. Although I may not be doing Slam poetry for my Final, I hope to see other people in our class perform it!
Personally, I don’t like slam poetry, however watching people do it is impressive. The words and phrases and the way they make everything interlock is beyond creative. My favorite one was “Hands”, the way she used her hands to portray the message was intriguing. I also enjoyed “Teachers” I had no idea that’s where the poet was going! He made the audience feel his poem, and he gave showed how teaching is truly impactful. These people who perform their poetry are brave, I love watching slam poetry, but I’m not a fan of performing it myself.
Slam poetry is so unique and outgoing in the way that so many people can connect to it. The slam about what is cool and not cool started off kind of silly and the audience was joining in, but then he got serious and started to make lasting impressions on the audience which I really enjoyed. Also the slam about teaching, how he listed what teachers actually do and the power that they have to make a difference in kids lives, was an eye opener and really relatable. Slam poetry is something that everyone can relate to and these people did such a good job capturing the audience.
I really liked the cool poetry because its funny and he says things that i like. I like when he says ” believing things can and will change is cool”and how the crowd was also saying the are not cool. I really really liked the “What teachers make” it was like an inspiring speech sent gitters through my body and i also like how much this guy was into his poetry. Well i didn’t like the “pretty” poetry. Then the hands poem made me laugh at the end.
All of the slam poetry videos were great! I have to say that my favorite ones were “Teachers” and “What Is Cool and Not Cool”. I like these two specifically because of their body movement and voice. When they speak you can hear/feel what they are trying to say. For example in What is Cool and Not Cool you hear him mad then you hear him pleased and happy as he describes what is and what isn’t cool. Then in the Teachers you can hear him angry, yet determined as he tells you what teachers make. Both of these were presented strong and insightful for others to relate to. I think both performers did an excellent job!
I liked all of these poems, but my favorite was the one about being a nerd. I t really showed that she had been practicing that, because she spoke so clearly although she was speaking very fast. I also really like the two poems by Taylor Mali. I have heard him before, because he is real showman and puts a lot of emotion into him poems. The one called “What Has Happened to the Way we Speak?” was very relatable. Everyday as I walk through the halls, I can hear other students using the word “like” just about every other word.
That was very entertaining i dint dislike any of those.Each poem had a very good message like after i listen to them they made me think and it was surprising cause didn’t think they would have affect on me.The girl that talked about her hands was very interesting she had a very good message i like how she used different tones during her performance.
All of the videos were entertaining to watch. The people who were speaking were passionate about what they were speaking about. They put a lot of emotion into what they were saying, and that was one of the reasons I liked it. My favorite one was “What is Cool and Not Cool.” I liked the way he used parallel structure in his poem, and how he got the audience involved. At the beginning it was funny, and then at the end he got serious. I really liked the message he was trying to get across at the end, which is why it was my favorite.
These slam poems were awesome! The “cool” poem was great because he started saying superficial/unimportant things that were cool, like a vibrating cell phone, but then he went deeper and started talking about how walking in front of a woman wasn’t cool. That kept it interesting. The “nerd” poem amazed me because it was just a 16 year old whipping out these huge words at such a fast pace. She must have worked really hard at that. I hope I do my poem like her
I didn’t like the “Hands” poem but I did like how she incorporated her hands to add to it. The “teacher” poem was great! I like the poets attitude and sass. The others were good too. The “pretty” one was pretty heartfelt and brushed on a topic everyone relates to. I like these video DB’s 
I think slam poetry is amazing and seems like the easiest form of poetry because it doesn’t involve rhyming. My favorite by far was the first one. I think the repeating of the word “cool” kept my attention and made it seem like it was a rhyming poem. It was a great example of slam poetry.
This is my first time getting introduced to slam poetry. It seems like an alright form of poetry. I like how you can change the stanza length to whatever length you want and you can read fast or slow depending on your preference. I don’t think I’m going to do slam poetry for my original poem.
My favorite poem was the one about teachers. I thought his delivery was extremely passionate and convincing, and people could also easily relate to what he was saying. I like how he answered the “what do you make” question with the difference he’s made in people’s lives instead of his salary, showing where the real importance of a job lays. I thought it was creative how the lady used a lot of hand movements in her poem about hands, but her presentation overall came off as awkward to me. I liked how most of the poems gradually grew in intensity and had an inspirational message to reveal. I especially liked the girl’s message about students embracing their brilliance and that educated people are the future. Also, the poem about the word “pretty” was really powerful because there is so much emphasis on being pretty in society and the media that it is refreshing and eye opening to hear an apposing view.
Honestly, I started this assignment thinking I’m just going to watch one video and write a review to get it over with, but now two hours in, I’m “pretty” sure I have broken the replay button on some of the videos. I know this sound like a cliché, but it was very difficult to pick the one I liked best. However I think the video “Nerds are our Future” wins by a slim margin. I think my main reason for liking this particular video is because it is relatable; I actually understood everything she said. Her performance was also nothing short of amazingness, it’s hard to believe that a highschooler can compose such a… masterpiece, especially with “like” the level of communication between teens these days “ya know”.
I watched the video “What has happened to the way we speak?” I have never done any work with Slam poetry in school or anywhere else before, so I am not familiar with it. However, the presentation was familiar to me, because it was quite similar to a stand-up comedy skit, besides the speaker being without a microphone. I thought it was interesting, and made a very good point, questioning why our speech is so informal and “blehhh,” as the speaker put it. To be honest, I was expecting something a lot more silly and stupid, rather than something insightful and still entertaining. The speaker decided to make his case by not only stating his point, but by demonstrating it too, with extra ‘like’s and ‘ya know’s he threw into his speech. He also used a few short sentences that he spoke in a very proper manner, and they almost sounded Shakespearean in just how eloquent he seemed. Overall, this would be a good choice for a poem style, but probably not the choice I will take with mine.
Deciding on what video to write about was very easy. I began to click on the links and the beginning of the last three videos were not catching my attention at all. So finally I got to the video “What is cool and not cool.”Right off the bat his tone was just very strong and then his sense of humor kicked in. Once I began laughing I knew that this was my favorite video. When he made a reference to a pop song playing on your cell phone not being cool it instantly reminded me of when I was in the seventh grade. But after explaining what was not cool he began speaking of things that were cool. And then he got around to a vibrating cellphone being cool. This is something every teacher would agree with. throughout the video I was constantly laughing at what he said and his tone was strong all throughout the video. The thing i liked the most was his ending and the message that he gave.”…treating all people as you wish to be treated is cool giving your own life the respect it deserves is cool” it went from all the joking and humor to a very strong positive message and that is why I liked this video most.
I surprisingly enjoyed all of these poems.Slam peoptry is very interesting and its amazing how they can think of so much to say about one topis. I really enjoyed the last one “Pretty.” The poet brought so much emotion intop her performance that it made you feel her pain. Her story was so sad and i could feel the anger she portrayed. I also really enjoyed the one by Taylor Mali “What Teachers Make.” he had a lot of humor and i liked how he showed how proud he was for what he does and how he changes kids lifes. The first one i also enjoyed because i felt that the poethad a good lesson on what was “cool” and how the poem led to respecting your life was “cool.” overall i really did enjoy slam poetry and am looking forward to trying to write my own.
I have previously studied slam poetry and at first I found it very odd but now I find it entertaining. I do not think I will chose to perform slam poetry simply because it is a performance, and I am not an actress! I watched all the examples and found my favorites to be “Cool” and “Nerds”. I like how Cool incorporated the audience and had lines that made me nod my head in agreement because I can relate. I thought Nerds was performed extremely well and I felt like she was really expressing herself. The others were okay but didn’t make a lasting impression. The one about hands was extremely different…and I can’t really relate so maybe that’s why I didn’t like it. I don’t find hands to be that fascinating. Overall slam poetry is a joy to watch, but too nerve-wracking for me to participate in!
I have watch all the slam poetry but only one has caught my attention and insipired me more. “Cool” was a great poetry that not only was funny but the clear message that was being sent out to the public viewers was life is somthing you should appriciate and take advantage of and love your self for who you are. To not be greedy and not be selfish and to show respect to those who show respect to your self. I liked how Joe was funny at first but towards the end he was sending his message out to the public and that really inspired me as he said respect your self because in my opinion that is somthing “Cool” everyone should know deep inside.
Well i must say that i am the returning “Greg Raney’s 2011 national slam poetry championship” champion. I have been training for this upcoming 2012 Erin Jones ERWC supreme championships for 12 1/2 months now. I have been snapping necks and cashing checks for days and I am on the hunt to retrieve my new title as the “Slam Champ”. The teacher’s video was terrific and how he would define the positives and negatives of what a teacher can do.
Well….. I really liked the slam poetry videos!! Especially the cool poetry and how the crowd co-operated with him. I also liked how the crowd was never quiet they were always laughing or clapping. The teacher slam was a little weird at first because i didn’t know whhere it was going then it got really good. The teacher slam was the best from my opinion and i also liked the other one he did “like you know” it was really funny i was laughing all the way through!! Also i liked how the girl in the classroom did her slam poetry without fear or nervousness she just went up their and did it.
Over winter break when I was in San Francisco, a slam poetry contest came on the tv at the hotel. I was so in awe of the group of performers, that I had grown a sudden interest. I was stoked to know that our poetry unit contained slam. It is invigorating. The writers all speak so precisely and confidently. They used their entire bodies slicing the air with their hands to illustrate their message convincingly with a true passion for the art form. They all spoke in rhythm. They spoke in rhythm, but not always in rhyme. I liked the audience involvement in the “cool/not cool” piece. It really upped the energy. I liked the “nerd” and “the way we speak” slams because I agree that our generation needs to do something about the literate slump that we’re drowning in. In addition I loved the “teacher” o e because I found it to be spot on. No teacher is in it solely for their salary (of course), they’re genuine people who invest their entire lives in our future. They are the real life heroes, and really do make a difference.
Great videos!
One of my favorite slams is Taylor Mali’s “Teachers”. I remember seeing videos of his other slams last year in English and I noticed he never fails to engage his audience. At some points in “Teachers” I forget I’m watching a slam and begin to think I’m watching stand up. Taylor’s use of voice inflection and timing creates an atmosphere that even those of us watching a recording of the slam can sense. The comedic aspect he incorporates into his performances is something I really like and seems to resonate with his audiences.
Slam Poetry is a lot of fun! Last year with had a whole unit on it and spent several months reciting poems. What is really cool about slam poetry is that there are many different styles as seen in the movies; some talk fast, and others talk slow. Another interesting thing about the videos is that how many people actually go and watch a lot of these performances and how much of a big deal they are. Slam poetry really brings out a lot of emotion since many of the poets have many feelings toward their poems and are very passionate. Overall, after watching the videos I can not wait until we start to make some poems!
The slam poetry was very good and it was entertaining. I like how the poet gets into it and goes all out making it even better. Even thought its a piece called poetry it feels different and more alive. I liked it very much thought it was good stuff. It was also easy to understand.
Slam poetry is so versatile. The way each individual can weave words, emotions and their own creativity into this variation of poetry is always amusing. My two favorites are “Nerds Are Our Future” and “Teachers” because each was so articulate, humorous and empowering. That girl is a genius, forming her words into such powerful phrases and rhyming words I didn’t know possible. Her creativity is apparent, and her word choice was very particular that it was super fun to listen to. Taylor Mali had a great message and really exemplified how slam poetry is a performance and can be a show. For the final, this is definitely my choice since it’s very adaptable, passionate and entertaining.
Nice timing Jesse!
I love slam poetry! I like that people get into it! last year in my English we had a boys who would get louder with words, move there hands and such. I especially remember a moment when one of my friends started crying instantly in her performance and it got us all sad. At the end she was perfectly fine but it made us feel sorry for her. I watched “What Teachers Make,” I like that he starts very comedic and gets people very interested in his performance. People are laughing when he makes a sound with his laugh. Then he starts his point with what teachers make and sets a situation with the students that makes it funny then all serious when he gets into the parents. His hand gestures and his loud voice gets the audience sucked in his performance even more. This people who perform seem very confident and not afraid of what they are doing. I like it very much!
Slam poetry is a really fun and entertaining form of poetry. It did not matter whether or not the performer spoke fast or slow, because they were always energetic. My favorites were “Teachers” and “Nerds are our Future.” The performer in “Teachers” was super entertaining and was he took a completely different route in answering the question: “What do you make?” The performer in “Nerds are our Future” used a lot of words that were “educated” and made them flow very nicely with the rest of her poem.
after watching all the slam poetry videos i noticed that most of them don’t rhyme. their more of emotions and sending a strong message. to be honest i would much rather see people do slam poetry then someone trying to rhyme to words and making no sense out of them. I also noticed that all of them start out just saying funny things the towards the end they really slow down and focus on the message they are trying to get through to the audience. Plus the videos are from def poetry jam so they are suppose to be funny an entertaining. slam is a good change from the norm.
I found Joe Hernandez to be a striking and interesting. His use of “not cool” and “cool” was repetitive but sent a strong message to the audience and people watching all around the world. Comparing things like beauty and healthy relations to “cool” and things that are obnoxious and violent to “not cool” sends important messages and reminders to make people think about the world and what they should do in it.
This is the first time I have ever heard of slam poetry; i like the comedy and the silly way that the poetry start. I liked the videos, some of them were funny, but i dont see myself writting slam poetry it’s just not for me. The video about the teachers was interesting and it made me laugh a little, slam poetry is a good way to write poetry but I wouldn’t use slam poetry for my ERWC final though.
Most of the slam poetry videos were entertaining and creative. The video that I found most interesting was “hands.” She used a lot of examples for the usage of hands like holding a baby, crossing two hands like a zipper, etc. The part I like was how she incorporated her dad a lot in the poem, and of course how she used her hands. The way she did her hand movements made it easier to understand the poem to me and it gave the poem a unique touch. Overall the poem was great and the range of examples she used was a good technique and painted a image in my head to give a better understanding.
Last year in Mrs. Fox’s class we had a slam poetry competition. I really liked it, especially because NOTHING was off limits. The F-bomb, insults and any other derogatory term was allowed. The thing I liked about these videos were that they were somehow comical in a way and the poet is not average. He/She yells and “acts” out by using emotions.
My favorite video was “Hands” by Sarah Kay, it changed my perspective on hands…they’re pretty amazing. I would like to do slam poetry for my final, but it’s a challenge to make it interesting.
What happened to the way we speak? I found this video to be the most entertaining. Not only was it engaging to watch because of the way Mr. Mali presented his words, but it also had a good message about how are culture is becoming less articulate and we are dumbing down our language. My favorite parts of this video are the changes in his voice, as well as how he kind of uses a sarcastic tone, you know?
I really enjoyed the slam poetry of Taylor Mali, the poet of “Teachers” and “The Way We Speak”. I found these to be my favorite slam poems because the way Mali can get his point across and make it intresting at the same time. My favorite had to been “The Way We Speak” because it speaks many truths on how our generation speaks as if were not sure what were saying. Mali’s “Teachers” was great because it spoke on the pure joys of being a teacher and the relationships they achieve with the students. The “Cool” poem was great and I hope to do my slam poem on the same repitive format that the poet used.
All of these videos were cool in there own way. Last year we did a long lesson on slam and the aspects on how to make it a good one. The presentation the girl put on in the classroom is what made her poem real good. She would change her voice slower then faster and vice versa. Also how she incorporated facts and information in her slam just made it that much better. The last thing I liked about her video was that she didn’t really have to look at her paper during her poem. It’s seems as if she took some good time with her poem memorizing it and then in turn got a A on that assignment.
I don’t really like slam poetry. I respect it when I hear a good “slam poem” and enjoy hearing some, but when it comes to writing it it’s not really for me. When I write poems I usually write about personal experiences or ideas people can relate to. I don’t like writing it using words that have already been written. Maybe I’m missing the point but that’s what it seems like. Even though I enjoyed the videos I don’t enjoy writing it one bit.
My favorite poem was “Cool” by Joe Hernandez-Kolski. He was very funny and whitty, but also had a good message. Also i didn’t feel uncomfortable watching his performance, while i felt a little weird watching the others. He interacted very well with the audience, and he was very easy to follow. I don’t really like the type of poetry where it is hard to follow the poets concepts because he is talking too fast, or using too complex sentence structure and words. Hdrnandez-Kolski was entertaining and inspirational.
My favorite of the slam poetry performances was the teacher one and the one defining “pretty.” I like Taylor Mali’s sassy attitude and his message about how important teachers are and how they do make a difference. I don’t really understand why a lot of the slam poets use that weird unnatural cadence but it does get the message across. I’m glad I finished watching Mali’s performance though because his fake laugh in the beginning was super annoying. Katie Makkai’s poem was excellent as well and had a nice message. (However, pretty has six letters not five.) I also thought that the not cool/cool one was funny how the audience got way into it. I think slam poetry can be fun as long as you let yourself become a bit of a nerd to let yourself get into it.
The two videos which I felt the most impact from were “Cool and Not Cool” and “Teachers.” The two men that presented their slam poetry had an intensity and came across as having a deep care for what they were saying. They emphasized what reasons for why their subjects were so great and needed. They both raised the audience in agreement with them; and they brought positive reactions for why things are cool and not cool in their own ways, and how teaching was a gateway to reach out and make better students and turn those students into good people. Their slam poetry, as well as the others from the other videos were all very effectual.
I must say i love Slam poetry…i wish i could write appropriate stuff to actually present it in front of the class but i always seem to fail on doing that. Also i really love the teachers video it’s funny not much the poem because i didn’t really pay attention to the words but i really liked the guys laugh…that’s what kept me entertained. I can’t wait to write a slam poem about you, my favorite teacher, and express how much i love your class and how much i enjoy listening to your lectures while i text.. I’ll try to do a slam poem, that’s appropriate, for the final. It’s probably not going to happen but i will try.
Nerds are our future was my favorite poem. I consider myself a cool nerd and I agree that the people that use their brains in this country arent recognized as much as some of the top actress actor and sport icons. Without brain power those athletes wouldn’t even be able to show their talent worldwide. Seeing as how we are all born with the same amount of muscle cells I think that people who use their minds are the ones to be looked up to and are much more impressive. If you can do both sport and academic work then you are well rounded.
This isn’t my first time being introduced to slam poetry, I learned it last year in Mr. Raney’s class. I’m so glad i got the opportunity to learn this form of poetry more in-depth because it really is an amazing type of poetry and I feel that it’s also the strongest type of poetry. The way people present slam poetry is what makes it so spectacular, it grabs the audiences attention and it makes the poem more real. Out of all the videos I have to say me two favorites were “Hands” and “The Word Pretty.” I feel that i can relate the most to these two poems and they were the most interesting ones that really stood out to me. I especially liked when during the “Hands” poem, she talked about all the different uses for your hands, which was actually kinda of crazy because I’ve never actually thought about all the things we do with our hands, it was very intriguing to me.
My favorite poem was “Teachers” by Mr. Mali. I felt his message was the clearest and easiest to follow, unlike the other poems where it seemed like they stood up and started talking. I found it entertaining as well as realistic, so it was easy to relate too, since I am a student. I could feel the passion in his voice which made me want to pay attention to him. In other poems, it seemed as if they had memorized a script. His poem was original and clever as well as entertaining. Others seemed like a story, or very strange to me.
This was my first experience with slam poetry. It’s not what I was expecting. I felt like most of these were stories told in the form of excited poetry. I didn’t like the Cool and Not Cool slam. It didn’t feel like a poem to me, but more like stand-up comedy. I loved the Nerds are our Future. Her poem was brilliant and it flowed so well with rhythm and intelligence. The Hands video was strange. At first I didn’t like it because it sounded too much like an anecdote, but as she progressed I became more fond of it and heard the rhythm of it. While I enjoy slam poetry and watching the presentations I don’t think it is “my type” of poetry. I couldn’t go up in front of people and present with that much passion and energy.
All of the slam poems were good in their own unique way. However if I had to pick a favorite, I would go with “What has Happened to the way we Speak”. I love how he contrasts modern language to the more passionate way that people used to speak. And when he makes super powerful statements but says them with a lack of conviction. He used a show not tell method that was hilarious yet, very persuasive in delivering his message. Oh and Austin you betta check ya self before ya reck ya self cause Jamykins is coming fo that belt.
I enjoyed slam poetry. I never did it last year in my English class. I like the video about how we speak now and days. How we have such little vocabulary choices and how we are lazy and always expect who we are talking to that they understand what we are saying without really saying it all. Sometimes I really hate living in this century, we just don’t understand what we have and we don’t use our talents to good in the world. I know I get drawn into the habits so I am not one to talk, but I wish I could say I wasn’t.
I have always loved to watch slam poetry because it is just so entertaining and get you in the mood of writting one. My favorite one to me was “Hands”, I choose this as my favorite because the vocabulary she uses and she gives us a lot of different ways that we can use our hands for. It is very impresive to see a girl do slam poetry because it’s rare, its mostly guys who do it. I also have a favorite writter who is Annis Mojgani, this gy is my inspiration to writting poems ever since last year im Mr. Raneys class. Slam poetry is definately my favorite type of poetry because to me it brings out the real you.
I think it takes a very unique person to be able to pull off performing slam poetry. All of the people in the videos seem very confident, and that is my favorite aspect of slam poetry. My favorite videos were “Cool”, and “Nerds” because the “Cool” guy was very funny and quirky in the beginning but later he actually got to the point of his poem, and it really had deep meaning. And the “Nerd” girl, I thought was really confident, and I liked how she talked really fast because that just made me listen to her words very carefully, and just like the “cool” guy, she was comical, but behind it there was a really good message. I am most definitely going to consider doing a slam poem for my final.
I really liked the one that was called “What’s cool and what’s not.” I thought it was funny. He mad it sound like as if he wasn’t even nervous. If I would of been up there I would have been freaking out. But, I liked the way it sounds when people present it because it doesn’t even seem like a poem it seems more like a presentation. They get so into it and its really amazing how they memorize all of it. I admire them for having that courage because I know I don’t. i admire all those people thats a great confidence to have.
After watching all the videos they were all very good. The one i thought was funny was “what is cool and not cool” even though it seemed like he was talking about random things but has a story behind it. When he got the whole audience would participate it was interesting. Another one I found very interesting was “nerds of our future.” I liked the way she presented her poem and made it funny also. The way these people preformed the slam poetry made it more interesting and funny or powerful to the viewers