Poetry Slam as an Emerging New Social Art Trend - Essay Example

Poetry slam, an emerging new social art trend, is a competition of poetry recital in an open crowd, originated as entertainment to a certain social club. This is merely poetry with different rules and presentations. With these differences, is a poetry slam considered evidence of the progressive evolution of poetry or it is completely a new trend of art borne by commercialism?
A significant matter to discuss to discern answers to the issue is the nature of the subject. A poetry slam is a poem recital in an open crowd. Its rule is to forbid using costumes, props, and music backgrounds. Originally, a performer was given three minutes time duration but now varies depending on the preferences of the set-up.
Traditional poetry can be considered incorporated into the package of the Poetry Slam. Also, it can be considered that Poetry Slam is perhaps a progressive form of traditional poetry. Whatever it may be, it is apparent the existing relationship between the art of poetry to the Poetry Slam, aside from the terms themselves.
The Poetry Slam started way back in November 1994 in Chicago. It was credited to Marc Smith the creation of Poetry Slam, which then he primarily called Monday Night Poetry Reading. Thus this gained popularity among poets and non-poets alike.
The thing that is muchly noticeable in the emergence of the Poetry Slam is that they are inevitably being hosted or performed in bars or clubs. Marc Smith had launched the trend in the Get Me High lounge, and later then moved to Green Mill, a tavern and jazz lounge, where it permanently hosted. Thus then emerged the controversy that Poetry Slam is meant to be more of a commercial trend than a new form of art of poetry.
Bob Holman, was a known “slammaster” for highlighting the popularity of the Poetry Slam by bringing it to New York at the Nuyorican Poet Café in 1987. Critics, including Marc Smith, said that Holman brought out the worst part of Slam Poetry by dragging it into commercialism through the 1997 National Slam by making his record label Mouth Almighty sponsor the winning team (Eleveld 2003).
On the other hand, Poetry Slam, with its emergence and existence is inevitable to be considered one of the new forms of the art of poetry. It is a fact that a growing number of schools have enhanced their approach to effectively teaching poetry in a class by using the Poetry Slam technique.
"I feel that this kind of creative event is important to young people as it gives you more experience and provides an excellent opportunity to perform poetry. . .” said Charlie, a student of Middlesbrough stated upon championing an interschool Poetry Slam competition (BBC Tees 2007). This has proven the unusual interest of young people has effectively evoked a long-lost art of poetry. Read More