Performance Poetry

Some people think it’s about acting things out in some form of "Shakespeare poetry."  They don’t think it’s something highly creative or cool, but it’s more than that, even.  Performance poetry is a state of mind where artists don't just recite their words, they become them.  It is specifically composed to perform in front of an audience.  The word poetry in any reference tends to turn a deaf ear to the average individual but Spoken Word or Performance Poetry is changing what people once thought about it.  As soon as people can remove the negative connotation of people sitting in a room snapping their fingers or that it is just rap without the music then their minds begin to open to the powerful force that is Performance Poetry.  I personally have stood before audiences and have watched tears stream down faces when I perform my highly praised poem "Dear Dad."  The ability to act out raw emotion and infuse it with an incredibly written piece at the same time knowing where to place your breaks and pauses holding the audience in your hand is what defines Performance Poetry.  Further, this unique talent is grabbing the attention of people who ordinarily would never be interested in poetry and is why it is making its way back to the mainstream.