Unveiling the Spectrum
The Abdu Review
“For poets, words are like atoms with an irreducible nucleus of meaning orbited by a
constellation of energized forces, both positive and negative. Poets rely on these orbits of meaning to give significance, color, and depth beyond the nuclear or literal meaning of the words” - Nancy Bailey Martin in the The Importance of Teaching Poetry published by University of Illinois Press.
There was a time all I wanted to do was be on stage- the audience unknowingly holding their breath while the air cracked with snaps. Rhythmic words echoing out. As time passed, I found myself practicing with the written form. I became obsessed with capturing detail through metaphors and Shakespearean sonnets. Through years of study and practice, the discernment between stage and script crystallized.
Silent Poetry
Silent Poetry has a muted orbit that will pull you in. You will begin to create a visual connection to the poem. Its structure and form will become the primary focus.
Conflicting with its name, reciting the poem out loud is encouraged by most poets. Doing so will allow you to find rhythm and fluidity. Or not. Each poem will carry its own fingerprint. Poets will often use grammatical resources that are no longer trending to enforce a contingent meaning.
Silent Poetry requires you to research and understand references. If there is a cognitive misunderstanding, that is an opportunity to dive into tone, language, or structure. You are developing a subjective understanding of the author’s perspective and the poem’s perspective. This may include the characters tone or personification.
The goal is to base assertions on evidence from the poem itself. Here a few questions that can be used in practice:
How does this poem interact with structure?
What serves as the foundational principle for its structure?
Are the lines enjambed?
Who is the speaker and who are they addressing?
What tone does the poem carry?
With silent poetry, you must start with analyzing it. One of the many ways to start this process is to search for the topic. Perhaps imagery is the direct way to tackle its meaning. It is crucial to recognize that not every analytical technique may be applicable.
Spoken Poetry
This form of poetry activates sensory in communal auditory and visual fashion. The audience is basked in the experience of the poet’s emotions igniting formative comprehension. In the realm of spoken verse, a captivating interplay unfolds, where the audience discerns the intended words immersed in cadence. It creates an enchanting relationship.
There is a steady symbiotic balance of listening, retention, and digestion. At a foundational level, initial contact of the words begin to digest allowing for it to be evaluated by the senses. Linguistic structures are then evaluated placing things into context. Spoken word is a cathartic experience evoking raw emotions with community. This form of poetry requires connection through storytelling. Unlike slam poetry, open mic is not competitive.
The African diaspora has and will continue to contribute to the renaissance of spoken word. This transcendent presence defies societal prejudices, elevating expressions beyond conventional boundaries.
Maisha T. Fisher from Columbia University states, “Revived and ongoing interest in spoken word poetry mirrors the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s, when there was an effort to connect the “oral” and “literate” traditions of African Americans through poetry, prose, music, dance, and theater (p. 363).” Poets morph into architects of community, weaving threads of inherent unity among both organizers and enraptured onlookers. It becomes a space where singers, musicians, DJs, and visionary artists merge into a symphony of creativity.
In Fisher’s Open Mics and Open Minds: Spoken Word Poetry in African Diaspora Participatory Literacy Communities, questions “What are the cultural practices, specifically related to literacy, of the organizers/emcees, artists, and audience members found in these African Diaspora Participatory Literacy Communities.”
These practices are found through political consciousness, reconnecting to the community by hosting events, and championing local businesses. Simultaneously, the community reflects subconscious energies, encouraging societal understandings. In the dance of a movement's quest, it unfolds, seeking to fathom the tapestry of meanings that embrace Blackness on a global stage.
Poetry stretches the mind through abstract methods, an undeniable asset in the journey of learning and development. Whether you gravitate towards spoken or silent verse, or find joy in exploring both, one can delve into this realm academically for study and practice, or simply partake in it recreationally.
Alvarez, N., & Mearns, J. (2014). The benefits of writing and performing in the spoken word poetry community. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 41(3), 263–268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2014.03.004
Bailey, N. M. (1989). The importance of teaching poetry. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 23(4), 51. https://doi.org/10.2307/3333031
FISHER, M. (2003). Open MICS and open minds: Spoken word poetry in African diaspora participatory literacy communities. Harvard Educational Review, 73(3), 362–389. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.73.3.642q2564m1k90670
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