Spoken Word Poetry
Study Guide
A. Definitions and Origins
1. What is Spoken Word?
a. Poet John S. Hall defines spoken word as, “a blanket term that cover(s)
monologues, poems, stories, rap, etc. I like the term precisely because it is so
ambiguous and broad."
b. Poet Miguel Algarin says, "This new poetry, or rather the poetry of the nineties,
seeks to promote a tolerance and understanding between people. The aim is to
dissolve the social, cultural, and political boundaries that generalize the human
experience and make it meaningless."
2. Where did Spoken Word Originate?
a. Began as a section in the record stores that included Shakespeare, poetry, and
lectures. “Spoken Word” did not refer to a particular style until the 1990s.
b. The form is performance based, as the name implies, and cannot accurately be
transposed in print. Relies heavily on rhythm. No rigid rhyme scheme, but rhyme
is employed to bring listener back to main themes.
c. Sometimes described as a revival of Beat poetry.
3. Beat Poetry and Other Influences
a. Both Beat poetry and Spoken Word place emphasis on performance. Beat poetry
(Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Curso, and others) is dominated by white
males. Spoken word professes itself to be more diverse and inclusive both
membership and in style. Beats also “drop out” of conformist culture. Spoken
Word poets tend to take a more proactive approach.
b. There is significant stylistic overlap with rap/hip-hop and also stand-up comedy.
c. Spoken Word and Rap are similar mediums. Both have strong basis in rhythm and
rhyme. Rap is beat-driven, while the emphasis in Spoken Word is obviously on
the words themselves.
B. Criticism
1. Some academic critics feel that Spoken Word is too commercial. It is a less academic movement
and more of a popular culture movement.
2. “[A] kind of karaoke of the written word”- Jonathan Galassi, President of the American
Academy of Poets.
3. There were fears that this was a medium that would be more about drawing young crowds and
less about the craft of poetry.
4. Spoken Word Poetry is a fad, which will eventually pass. There is no way to preserve it in a
literal sense because it cannot be successfully written.
5. Academic critics think that there is not enough structure to provide guidelines for Spoken Word
Poetry. Critics feared that the poetry would be “dumbed down” in order to appeal to a larger
audience.
C. Key Figures and Popularization
1. Bob Holman: The Godfather of Spoken Word
a. United States of Poetry, features over sixty poets including Derek Walcott, former
President Jimmy Carter, rappers, cowboy poets, American Sign Language poets,
and Slammers.
b. World of Poetry, the world’s first digital poetry anthology.
c. Co-edited Aloud! Voices from the Nuyorican Poets Café, winner of the
American Book Award
d. Ran Poetry Slams through 1996 and the Nuyorican Poets Café
e. Produced the reading series rAP mEETS pOETRY with Bill Adler
f. Created “the world’s first” poetry record label, Mouth Almighty/Mercury
Records
g. Coached the Mouth Almighty team
h. In 2004, he became a Def Poet, appearing on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam.
i. From 1998-2002, he was Visiting Professor of Writing and Integrated Arts at
Bard College
j. Since 2003, he has taught Exploding Text: Poetry Performance at Columbia
University, as a graduate course in the School of the Arts.
2. Maggie Estep
a. Born in 1962, and grew up in US and France
b. Attended the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics
c. B.A. in Literature from The State University of New York.
d. Wrote aggressive political and gender-themed rant poetry, which was popular
in 1990s
e. Two spoken word CD's, No More Mr. Nice Girl and Love Is A Dog From Hell
f. Performed her work on The Charlie Rose Show, MTV, PBS, and HBO's "Def
Poetry Jam".
g. A prominent poet to emerge from the MTV spoken word movement
3. MTV
a. “Spoken Word Unplugged” originated in the 1990s
b. First televised effort to show case Spoken Word poetry.
c. This show was not incredibly well-received and was canceled a few years later.
4. Def Poetry
a. HBO show created by Russell Simmons for struggling urban poets to showcase
their Spoken Word Poetry.
b. Celebrity musicians also make appearances.
c. Shows such as these help to keep the movement alive.
D. What is Happening Now?
1. Spoken Word is arguably the most relevant form in our day.
2. Many musicians dabble in Spoken Word, even if this is not their typical medium. Erykah
Badu, Ani diFranco, Eminem.
3. Poetry Slams put a competitive edge on poetry. Often are themed, often tournament-style.
Scoring is often determined by audience members. Undermines the authoritative nature of
literary criticism.