10/21/10

Not all Poetry is Spoken Word

There tend to be a lot of misconceptions about spoken word poetry.  One of the main ones is that all poetry is spoken word, or all poets have the ability to be spoken word artists.  This is not necessarily the case.  Although in its simplistic form, spoken word poetry is said rather than read, the greater revelation is that spoken word poetry is meant to be performed.  Langston Hughes and E. E. Cummings are considered to be great poets.  Amiri Baraka and The Lost Poets are revered as great spoken-word artists.

2 comments:

Jeff Boire said...

The power of spoken poetry in many cases overwhelms poetry thought of being read quietly next to a warm hearth. The speaker inflects the sounds in a manner intended while the reader interprets through a filter of experience. Each has their place.

Spoken Cpt said...

Well said Jeff.