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12 Slam Poetry Ideas for Teachers

January 12, 2019 //  by  Lindsay Ann //   4 Comments

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Slam Poetry Ideas from My Classroom to Yours

If you are looking for fun slam poetry ideas for your classroom, this is the post for you! When teaching slam poetry, the content will engage students. It’s up to you to take students on a self-reflective journey.  In the end, students will perform slam poetry in the classroom, sharing heartfelt words with each other .

Slam poetry, or spoken word poetry engages and challenges middle school and high school students to express themselves in a clear, authentic, and ear-catching way .

After teaching slam poetry for several years, I’m sharing poetry ideas I’ve learned. I hope these slam poetry ideas will help other middle school and high school teachers in their teaching of poetry .

Tip #1: Give Context

One of the best slam poetry ideas I can give you is to take time (even if it’s just for a day) to explore.  Give students choice. Help them understand slam poetry as an art form and why it is growing in popularity.

Idea:  Have students explore “spoken word” as a natural extension of oral storytelling tradition. Watch Phil Kaye’s “ Why We Tell Stories ” and ask students the following questions: How did “spoken word” or “slam” poetry originate? What is the difference between “spoken word” and “slam” poetry?

Tip #2: Define

Take time to help students understand what slam poetry is and is not.

Idea: Watch Sarah Kay’s “ If I Should Have a Daughter .”

The goal here is to a ddress misconceptions and stereotypes associated with slam poetry and come to a new, deeper, collective definition of slam poetry as a jumping off point for student inquiry and writing.

Here are the top five misconceptions about slam poetry I hear from my students:

• It’s all about the speaker.
• Only interesting people are slam poets.
• Slam poetry has to be “in your face.”
• Slam poetry has to be sad or angry.
• Slam poetry is like a rap battle.

Tip #3: Connect to Prior Knowledge

Take time to help students learn/review literary and poetic terms . View a variety of poems, or allow students to complete an inquiry project . Students will love hearing others’ slam poetry ideas and see the purpose behind an author’s choices.

Have students identify these devices in professional and student slam poetry and analyze the impact of the stylistic choices.

Emphasize that it’s not  about the quantity of the devices in a slam poem , but about the quality and impact of poetry ideas in one’s writing.

Tip #4: Generate Slam Poetry Ideas

Take time to help students explore possible slam poem topics and stories .

Some students will know right away what they want to write about (but may still benefit from exploring other less obvious options). Other students will need help generating a topic.

Great slam poetry ideas are interesting, personally meaningful, and story-driven.

Tip #5: Analyze Slam Poetry

Create opportunities for student-centered talk, analysis, and response to slam poetry. Slam poetry ideas for students’ own writing will generate organically as students explore.

The beauty of slam poetry is that it is a visual, verbal feast. I’ve found that, for in-class analysis of slam poetry, it helps to have students preview the poem and quick chat focused on “likes/dislikes,” “author’s message,” and/or “dominant images and impressions” before digging deeper.

Multiple readings of a poem, with the ability to annotate a hard copy of the text will help students to appreciate and respond to the poem in different ways.

There is a time and a place for a deep dive into a poem, but I would limit this to 1-3 poems you have hand-picked for their interest and literary merit.  If you haven’t caught my previous post, h ere are 40 of my favorite, most engaging slam poems to use during a slam poetry unit. 

Try to flip the close reading to the students in a way that is not “sit and get” – jigsaw and ask groups to present different poems to the class, make an info-graphic or mind map to deconstruct a poem, engage in a collaborative discussion of poetry ideas, color code the text, etc.

Tip #6: Write…a lot!

Help students to explore and workshop at least two different topics. OR, you could have students write two poems with different angles on the same topic.

Students who write multiple poems or have a lot of time to free-write while exploring slam poetry:

• Gain writing practice.
• Have stronger slam poetry ideas.
• Participate in writer’s workshop and/or peer review which increases student comfort level with sharing prior to their ending slam performance.
• Engage in self-reflection, i.e. which one is the “best” and why?

Tip #7: Try Different Approaches

As students work their writing muscles, trying on different types of slam poetry and different topics, use a writer’s workshop approach which involves modeling, discussion of student samples, and sharing of student writing.

This type of student sharing of poetry ideas is really important to help students build trust and confidence prior to the final slam poetry performances, and my students often end up revising and adding to one of their initial slam poetry ideas for their final product.

Tip #8: Model Peer Feedback

Model how to provide feedback in student-friendly terms. Also, make sure that students know what the skill looks like in effective exemplars. In addition, create a lot of peer sharing opportunities so that they can practice this skill and receive feedback from a variety of peers, maybe in a variety of different forms/ways.

A simple formula that can be used is 1+1 feedback: 1 specific question, personal response, or praise + 1 specific observation and suggestion for improvement.

Tip #9: Share Your Slam Poetry Ideas!

Teach students to be independent and self-reflective as writers.

Model what revision looks like and sounds like.

MOST IMPORTANT TIP ALERT:   Write alongside the students and talk them through your revision process. Share your slam poetry ideas and writing with your students, even when they are not “perfect.”

Tip #10: Use Mini lessons

There is plenty of opportunity to build writing skills with targeted, skill-based instruction. I like to teach using short mini-lessons (so that students have plenty of opportunity for in-class writing). In these slam poetry lessons, I focus on idea development, diction, figurative language, sentence structure/organization, etc.

• Show students samples of your own writing or ask them for feedback.
• As you move around the room, find really excellent examples to spotlight and ask students why they work so well.
• Seize teachable moments.
• Give students ONE specific something to work on at a time.
• On workshop days, I will have three categories posted on the board when students walk in (i.e. work on line division, get rid of unnecessary pronouns & passive voice, writing workshop), and they sign themselves up for the day’s work. I usually use Google Classroom to post resources and tasks, and have students complete a question on classroom as their “ticket out the door” which asks them to provide an example of purposeful revision and discuss how it improves their draft, what their next steps are, and what questions they still have.

Tip #11: Rehearse

You’ll definitely want to give students time to practice and rehearse . I like to give students at least one full day in class to do this, and keep them moving and practicing the entire time.

• Have students find a buddy, exchange cell phones, and record each other performing (you need space for this). Then, students watch, reflect, and try again. (Psst…You have to stay on students  so that they take the time to watch and try again…no one likes seeing him/herself, and it takes grit to try and try again in order to see improvement.)
• Put students in groups of 3-4. Set clear expectations for rehearsal.
• Everyone participates
• After a performance, the group must come to a consensus as to the #1 area for improvement (i.e. facial expression doesn’t match poem’s tone).
• The speaker will go again…until s/he has smoothed out the #1 area for improvement.  (Psst…Again, you really have to emphasize the importance of this step, making sure students don’t just run through their poem and sit down again. Practicing, even with a stanza, until the skill is improved is important!)
• Repeat the cycle, giving another round of feedback to each performer.

Tip #12: Make Performance Fun

From the beginning, I think that the teacher sets the tone for slam poetry with his or her own level of excitement, writing and sharing of slam poetry ideas, and organization of the final slam performances.

I try, in my class, to make final slam poetry performances as much as possible like a live slam poetry competition with the opportunity for scoring and audience involvement.

I have tried pulling random students as “judges” and having them hold up scores for each performance which works; however, I like even to involve every student as a judge and determine a class “champion” in a democratic way.

Another option is to treat the final performances like a live poetry reading event, dimming the lights, and allowing students to snap their appreciation and drink warm beverages (coffee, tea, hot chocolate).

If you loved these slam poetry ideas, here are some resources for you!

I hope you have found these poetry ideas to be useful!

First of all, I’ve compiled a guide to teaching slam poetry as a resource for teachers like you! Please take a moment to download the free guide if you want more inspiration like you found in this post. 

Next, to support my effort to bring engaging, student-centered, ready-to-use resources to hard-working ELA teachers, I hope that you’ll take the time to follow my TpT store.

In addition, if you need some awesome, ready-to-use slam poetry teaching resources, here are some of my best-sellers:

This no prep, engaging, CCSS-aligned slam poetry unit is packed with student-centered activities and assignments designed to promote inquiry and self-expression as students explore and write slam poetry / spoken word poetry. Writing poetry can be a fun, interactive, student-centered experience that engages every  learner!  Build writing, reading, speaking and listening, and meta-cognitive skills with these  digital and print resources for Google Drive.

This is the complete  slam poetry experience, from exploration to analysis, from writing to performance . Your students will understand and appreciate slam poetry, but they will also learn strategies for how to write it well . I use these materials in my own classroom and have carefully revised and structured them so that they are  effective and engaging.

In addition to the unit plan, you’ll receive engaging slam poetry activities, graphic organizers, and question handouts designed to help students practice close reading and analysis skills while exposing them to a variety of slam poets and poems. There’s a LOT here!

I’ve designed this  slam poetry / spoken word poetry mini unit  for teachers who want to incorporate slam poetry writing, but don’t have weeks to teach it. This is a  completely   student-centered experience  with independent slam poetry exploration, brainstorming, and writing activities.

About Lindsay Ann

Lindsay has been teaching high school English in the burbs of Chicago for 19 years. She is passionate about helping English teachers find balance in their lives and teaching practice through practical feedback strategies and student-led learning strategies. She also geeks out about literary analysis, inquiry-based learning, and classroom technology integration. When Lindsay is not teaching, she enjoys playing with her two kids, running, and getting lost in a good book.

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Reader Interactions

[…] a teacher, I’ve spent hours scouring the interwebs looking for the best poems for teaching slam poetry.  In this post, I’m sharing 40 different and classroom-friendly poems, each one by […]

[…] between their story and the stories of others. They are appreciated. They appreciate others. When I use this poetry activity for high school students, my classroom really becomes a true […]

[…] of my favorite ways to use poems, for high school classes, (and slam poetry) is to have students read, discuss in Socratic seminar, and write their own emulations. Poems are […]

[…] Then, if you’re not sure where to start, let me partner with you in that scary, yet exciting getting started with slam poetry teaching stage! Click here to find 12 tips for teaching spoken word poetry in your classroom. […]

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40 Inspiring Poetry Games and Activities for Kids and Teens

They are poets, and they know it!

Tired of hearing groans when you announce it’s time for some poetry? Poems can be hard for kids to connect with, so it helps to have some clever poetry games and poetry activities up your sleeve. Try these with our favorite poems for sharing with elementary students and middle and high school students !

Our Favorite Poetry Games and Activities

1. Watch poetry videos

Let YouTube do some of the work for you with this roundup of poetry videos for elementary students. Watch authors read their own poems, learn about poetry terms, and more.

Learn more: Poetry Videos for Elementary School

2. Climb a hill with Amanda Gorman

Young poet Amanda Gorman took the world by storm when she read her poem “The Hill We Climb” at President Biden’s inauguration. Kids can really relate to her and her words, so try this roundup of poetry activities to introduce her in your classroom.

Learn more: Celebrate Poetry Month With Amanda Gorman

3. Take inspiration from nature

Nature has always provided inspiration for poets, and it can help your students find their own way to a love of poetry. Find out how poet David Harrison uses nature to help kids tap into their poetic sides.

Learn more: Science and Poetry

4. Read a novel in verse

Help kids find more meaning in poetry by reading novels told in verse. When they have a story to follow, they’re more likely to be engaged and open to learning about the poetic elements. Here are some of our favorite novels in verse for students of all ages.

Learn more: Best Novels in Verse

5. Stack up book spine poetry

Pull some books off the shelves and stack them so their titles create a poem. Kids can take a pic, write the titles down as they are, or use their stack as inspiration for a more fleshed-out masterpiece.

Learn more: How To Create Book Spine Poetry

6. Build a Humpty Dumpty wall

For most of us, nursery rhymes were the first poems we read, and they’re the perfect place to start with poetry games. Write words on building blocks ( try this set of Giant Cardboard Blocks from Amazon ), then stack them up to build a wall. Kids will get a kick out of these poetry activities by knocking the wall down and then building it up again!

Learn more: Nursery Rhyme Wall

7. Plant a poe-tree

“ I think that I shall never see / a poem as lovely as a poe-tree!” Hang a paper tree, then fill it with leaves covered with poetry from your students.

Learn more: Plant a Poe-Tree

8. Try paper bag poetry

Introduce poetry to little ones with a paper bag filled with several items of different sizes, shapes, textures, etc. Kids reach into the bag without looking and describe what they feel in a few words. These words make their first poem. This is one of the great poetry activities for younger students.

Learn more: Paper Bag Poetry

9. Explore a Poem of the Week

We love the idea of using a pocket chart with sentence strips to post a poem broken down by lines or phrases. Do a different activity each day throughout the week to help students make a connection.

Learn more: Poem of the Week

10. Go on a poetry speed date

This is a cool way to introduce older readers to a poetry unit. Gather up all the poetry books you can find, and invite students to bring their favorites too. Students spend the class period “speed dating” the books—they simply browse and skim, looking for poems and authors that catch their eye. Encourage them to make notes of their favorites for further reading.

Learn more: Poetry Speed Dating

11. Have a poetry book tasting

Here’s a cool spin on the speed-dating idea—a book tasting! Set up your room to look like a restaurant, play classical music in the background, and then invite students to sit down and try a variety of poetry books.

Learn more: Ideas on how to hold a book tasting

12. Pair up songs and poems

One of the easiest ways for many students to connect with poetry is by linking it with song lyrics. Visit the link below to find 15 fantastic song and poem pairings. Then, challenge your students to make their own pairings and explain the reasoning.

Learn more: Poem and Song Pairings

13. Read poetry in different ways

Poetry is all about the reader’s (or listener’s) experience. Experiment with that idea by having kids read poems out loud in a variety of ways. How does it change the experience when you read a sad poem in a silly voice or a funny poem in a scared voice?

Learn more: Poetry Voices

14. Spin to generate discussion

A poetry discussion can be hard going for kids at first. Use this free printable spinner to give them conversation starters or to help them choose a topic for further exploration.

Learn more: Poetry Spinner

15. Create colorful paint chip poetry

This is easily one of the most popular poetry games, and for good reason. Colors are so easy to relate to and evoke lots of feelings and memories. Paint chip poetry works for every age group, too, and makes for a neat classroom display.

Learn more: Paint Chip Poetry

16. Expand on paint chip poetry

Feeling a little guilty about furtively stuffing paint chips in your pocket at the store? These printable paint chip poetry games are here to help. They include multiple ways to use paint chips for poetic inspiration too!

Learn more: Paint Chip Poetry Without the Guilt

17. Have a “Hey Diddle, Diddle” puppet show

Nursery rhyme poems were just made to be acted out! Create stick puppets for “Hey Diddle, Diddle” using the instructions at the link, then expand to your other favorite rhymes to assemble a whole puppet show.

Learn more: Hey Diddle, Diddle Nursery Rhyme Craft

18. Compose acrostics

Acrostics are simple enough for beginning poets, but even Edgar Allan Poe used this style to create beautiful works. Writing one is almost like putting together a puzzle!

Learn more: Acrostic Poems

19. Match DIY rhyming dominoes

Rhyming poetry games are a lot of fun, and this one starts with some DIY dominoes made from sentence strips . This is a clever way to help kids find rhymes for writing their own poems.

Learn more: Rhyming Dominoes and Speedracer Game

20. Scoop up some ice cream poetry

Jack Prelutsky’s “ Bleezer’s Ice Cream ” is a kids’ poetry classic, and it’s sure to spark your students’ imaginations. Have them write and illustrate their own ice cream poems, with a focus on alliteration and other literary devices.

Learn more:  Awesome Alliteration Activity

21. Give haiku a hand

Haiku poems with their standard 5-7-5 syllable structure are fun to write. And let’s face it, most of us count the syllables on our fingers when we do! So this haiku helping hand is a perfect tool for kids. Have kids trace their own hand and write a haiku on it too.

Learn more: Haiku Poetry

22. Fetch a doggie haiku

Once you start with haiku, there’s just so much you can do! Elementary kids will love hearing the story of Doug, a dog looking for his forever home, in Dogku by Andrew Clements . As you might guess, the tale is told entirely in haiku. After you read the book, have kids create and illustrate their own “Dogku” poems.

Learn more: Doggie Haiku Poems

23. Roll the haiku dice

These are so cool! Haikubes are perfect for all sorts of poetry games. Roll the cubes and create a haiku, or draw a handful from a bag and use them to make your poem. You can use these for other poetry activities too.

Buy it: Haikubes at Amazon

24. Craft 3D tunnel haiku books

Haiku are fun to write, but a 3D tunnel haiku book is next-level awesome. This project looks harder than it is; all you really need are index cards, basic school supplies, and a lot of creativity.

Learn more: Haiku Tunnel Books

25. Be a copycat

We’re normally opposed to copying in the classroom, but for this activity, it’s A-OK! Kids write poems that mimic one they’ve been reading in class. This helps open their minds to the creativity they need to write their own unique verses later on down the line.

Learn more: Copycat Poem

26. Draw a concrete poem

Concrete poems are art and poetry rolled into one. Kids write a poem on any subject they like, then craft it into a shape reflecting their topic. Tip: Use a light board to allow kids to trace shapes if they find drawing a bit too challenging.

Learn more: Concrete Poems

27. Play Poetry Bingo

Is there anything bingo can’t do? Turns out it even works for poetry games! Get free printable sheets to use for this Poetry Bingo game that reviews literary devices and vocabulary terms.

Learn more: Poetry Bingo

28. Keep a poem in your pocket

There are lots of poem-in-your-pocket activities out there, but we love this one for its sheer creativity! During independent reading time, kids explore and find their favorite poem to share with classmates. After they share, they tuck them in a pocket on this spectacular hallway bulletin board for others to find and read. (Turn this into an online activity by using an online bulletin board program like Padlet .)

Learn more: Sharing Poems in Our Pockets

29. Design your own poetry dice

Learn about clauses when you make a set of dice to use for poetry games. Grab this set of Dry-Erase Blocks from Amazon and write dependent clauses on one and independent clauses on the other. Roll the dice and enjoy the verses you create!

Learn more: Poetry Dice

30. Learn limericks with a rhyming word bank

Kids love limericks —and really, who doesn’t? Their biggest challenge is usually coming up with the rhymes they need. This cool poetry activity creates a bank of rhyming words students can pull from as they craft their own lovable limericks to share.

Learn more: Silly Limericks for Kids

31. Color in blackout poetry

Blackout poems are a unique way of looking at the written word. This activity is easily differentiated for students from elementary through high school, and the results are often stunning.

Learn more: What Is Blackout Poetry (Plus Inspiring Examples and Ideas)

32. Post some pushpin poetry

Remember when poetry magnets were all the rage? You can still buy them ( find them on Amazon ), but you can also just create your own from paper scraps and pushpins. This is a low-cost way to open the door to so many poetry games and activities.

Learn more: Pushpin Poetry

33. Make magnetic poetry online

Speaking of poetry magnets, did you know you can play with them online? Really! This clever site gives you new words every time, so there are always fresh new ideas to explore.

Learn more: Magnetic Poetry Online

34. Say it with sticky notes

We love using sticky notes in the classroom , and they’re fantastic for poetry games. Have kids write a selection of words of their choice and stick them to the wall or whiteboard. Then let each student select words to use for their own verses.

Learn more: L iterary Analysis

35. Prove that opposites attract

Even polar opposites can share similarities. For this poetry activity, students choose two opposite subjects, like the ocean and desert shown here. The middle line of the poem highlights the one similarity between the pair and acts as a transition (in this case: sand). Illustrations help tell the story.

Learn more: Diamante Poetry

36. Find poetry everywhere

Found poetry is likely to become one of your students’ favorite poetry games. Give them a stack of magazines, newspapers, or books to look through, along with a pair of scissors. Have them cut out words and phrases they like, and then arrange them into a brand-new poetic masterpiece!

Learn more: How To Write Found Poetry

37. Start with simple cinquains

Cinquains are five-line poems with a specific structure. There are a variety of styles, but this poetry activity walks kids through the creation of a simple cinquain on any topic they like. This is a neat way to work on “-ing” words (known as gerunds ). Bonus: This free printable Character Cinquains worksheet can be used with any book or story.

Learn more: Poetry Unit

38. Learn metaphors and similes

Similes and metaphors are two of the most common literary devices found in poems. Help kids learn to tell the difference with this free printable game.

Learn more: Activities for Teaching Poetry

39. Take inspiration from metaphor dice

The right metaphor is the gateway to a unique and meaningful poem. Roll these dice to find a metaphor that will inspire and challenge your young poets.

Buy it: Metaphor Dice at Amazon

40. Host a poetry slam

Round off your poetry unit with a poetry slam ! These events are a combination of recitations and poetry games, like freestyle rhyme battles. This is the ultimate event for poetry lovers of any age. Hold it in person, or stream it on Zoom so anyone can easily attend!

Learn more: How To Host a Poetry Slam and Slam Poetry Examples

Don’t miss our FREE printable poetry worksheet bundle !

What are your favorite poetry activities come share your ideas on the we are teachers helpline group on facebook ., looking for more poetry to use in the classroom check out our list of the best poetry books for kids in grades pre-k through 12 ..

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Host a Poetry Slam in Your Classroom

Have you ever found it difficult to get all of your students to buy into your poetry unit? I know I’ve felt that way before. I think some of this reluctance comes from the perception of poetry being an outdated form of creative expression. This is not true, of course. Poetry is written, read, and enjoyed by people all over the world every day. Still, it can nonetheless feel like there is a barrier to entry with poetry that is not necessarily there with novels or other forms of writing. Hosting a poetry slam is a great way to break down this barrier in your classroom. Here’s how you can easily host a poetry slam in the ELA classroom.

What is a Poetry Slam

Start by explaining to your students what exactly a poetry slam is. A poetry slam is a competitive event in which poets perform their work and are judged by members of the audience. At a poetry slam, you will hear spoken word poetry (also known as slam poetry). This type of poetry is meant to be presented on stage. Although some spoken word poetry can be found in writing, it is meant to be performed rather than exist in print. Some of your students are likely already familiar with slam poetry. This form of creative expression has become extremely popular in recent years, and many slam poetry videos have gone viral online.

History and Background

Slam poetry, just like all other types of poetry, has its own interesting history. Once your students have a strong understanding of what a poetry slam is, I suggest teaching them about how it got started.

In 1986, a construction worker and poet, Mark Smith, approached Dave Jemilo, the owner of the Green Mill (a Chicago jazz club), with a plan to host a weekly poetry competition on Sunday nights. Jemilo welcomed him, and the Uptown Poetry Slam was born on July 25 of that year.

Mark Smith instituted the basic features of the competition, including judges chosen from the audience and cash prizes for the winner. The Green Mill evolved to draw in performances from poets all around the world. Amazingly, the Uptown Poetry Slam continues to run every Sunday night!

Judging Slams

The next thing I like to do with students when hosting a classroom poetry slam is to get them to actually judge slam poetry. For this, I show students videos of different popular slam poetry performances on YouTube. I then get them to give a score for each one. You can have some fun with this by getting students to hold up a piece of paper with a score between one and ten!

Instead of giving students rubrics that guide how they judge the performances, I encourage them to score each one based on their gut reaction—how it made them feel, how much they connected with it, and how skilled they thought the performer was. I typically spend a whole class just watching and judging videos. Here are a few examples of videos that you can use with your class:

• Solli Raphael, 12, becomes the youngest winner of Australian Poetry Slam
• Marshall Davis Jones | Touchscreen
• MSA 2009 Slam Poetry

Outline the Rules

At this point, students should have a pretty strong understanding of what slam poetry is all about. Now is the time to outline the rules of poetry slams . They will want to keep these in mind when they start writing and practicing their slam poems. Although they may vary from slam to slam, I’ve listed four basic rules that you can follow below:

• Each poem must be of the poet’s own construction.
• Each poet gets three minutes to read one poem (deduction for going over time).
• The poet may not use props, costumes, or instruments.
• Of the five scores, the highest and lowest are dropped and the middle three are added together (score between 0-30).

Topic Free Writing

Next, put a list of topics on the board that might elicit an emotional response from your students. One-word topics like music, friendship, environment, beauty, happiness, and fear  tend to work well for this. Students can choose from one of these topics, or they can think of a topic on their own. In either case, encourage them to choose something that interests them, something from which they can offer their unique perspective.

Then, get your students to do some timed, 5-minute free write where they get all of their thoughts out on their chosen topic onto paper. Tell them to write whatever comes to mind and that they are not allowed to stop writing until the timer stops no matter what! The point here is to try and some strike inspiration while gathering what their thoughts are on their chosen topic.

Writing The Slam

Now it’s time for your students to write the slam poem itself, which can be informed by a powerful idea, word, or line they came up with during their free-writing exercise. First, however, I get them to fill out a  poetry slam writing organizer  that includes questions to help them organize their thoughts. Here are a couple of questions you might include in yours:

• What are the main points that you want your listener to consider about your chosen topic?
• What is going to be the tone of your poem?

Then, once they have mapped out the direction of their slam poem, I get students to write it out in its entirety, get peer feedback on it, edit the poem, and then perfect it!

Practice, Practice Practice!

Once students are happy with their slam poem , it is time for them to practice performing it. It is important to note that slam poems do not need to be memorized; they can simply be read. In either case, the more a student practices it, the more natural it will feel, and the higher they would score. Students can practice with a partner, or alone by recording themselves and watching it back. Or they might practice with a small group to get used to performing it in front of some sort of crowd, which can definitely be intimidating!

Hosting the Event

All that’s left now is hosting the classroom  poetry slam itself! I suggest making this into more of an event by leaving your classroom for this. If possible, host the poetry slam in the school theater. If you can, try to replicate the mood of a typical poetry slam by dimming the lights and having a single microphone on the stage. Students who won’t be memorizing their poems entirely can prepare more easily readable cue cards to guide them along during their big performance.

To Grade or Not to Grade?

Finally, the last thing to discuss is whether or not to grade your classroom poetry slam. This is completely up to you. If you want to, you could provide a grade using a pre-established grading rubric  that you provide students with at the outset. Or you can simply follow the scoring process outlined above in the poetry slam rules. For this, you will get your students to submit their scores for each performance. Then you can determine the final grades by dropping the highest and lowest values.

If you’re looking for more ways to spark student interest in poetry, click here!

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How to Host a Poetry Slam

What is a poetry slam.

A poetry slam is similar to an open-mic poetry party , with a key difference: Poetry slams are competitive events in which poets perform their work in front of an audience and judges . Poetry slams are known for their lively, energetic atmosphere and often feature poets performing original works.

During a poetry slam, poets take the stage one at a time to perform their work. They are often given a time limit, usually three to five minutes, to perform their poem. After each poet performs, the judges score their performance based on criteria such as originality, creativity, delivery, and overall impact.

At the end of the event, the scores are totaled and the poet with the highest score is declared the winner. Poetry slams are often held at schools, community centers, and other public venues and can be a fun and engaging way for young poets to share their work and for audiences to discover new and exciting voices.

A poetry slam is a great way for students in an elementary school to express themselves creatively and build confidence in public speaking. This is especially true if students are sharing funny poems or poems with engaging narratives. There is almost nothing better than the applause of your peers for overcoming a fear of public speaking and becoming a more confident presenter.

If you would like to host a poetry slam at your school, here are some steps you can follow:

• Choose a theme : Decide on a theme for the poetry slam. This could be something broad like “self-expression” or something more specific like “nature.” The theme will give the students a focus for their poems and help them come up with ideas.
• Recruit judges : Find a group of teachers, parents, or other community members who are willing to serve as judges for the poetry slam. Choose judges who are open-minded and willing to listen to a variety of styles and viewpoints.
• Encourage participation : Let students know about the poetry slam and encourage them to participate. You can do this through announcements, flyers, or by setting up a sign-up sheet.
• Maybe start a poetry club : Consider starting a poetry club for interested students, where you can hold workshops or after-school sessions to help students write and polish their poems. These workshops can be led by teachers, students, or even local poets.
• Set rules : Establish some basic rules for the poetry slam. For example, students should be encouraged to write their own poems and to avoid using profanity or other inappropriate language.
• Prepare : Encourage students to select and rehearse their poems before the event. This will help them feel more comfortable and confident when it’s time to perform. Below, I have included several tips on how to help students prepare.
• Host the event : On the day of the poetry slam, set up a stage or designated area where the students can perform. Have the judges sit at a table in front of the stage, and provide a microphone and sound system for the students.
• Judge the performances : Have the judges score each performance based on criteria such as originality, creativity, delivery, and overall impact. The student with the highest score wins the poetry slam. You can also have a grand prize winner as well as second and third-prize winners.
• Celebrate the winners : After the poetry slam, celebrate the winners and all of the participants. You can do this with a small ceremony, perhaps with a ribbon, medal, or certificate, and possibly by displaying the winning poems around the school.

How to Prepare

In addition to planning for the poetry slam itself, students will need to prepare for the event too. There are several ways that students can practice and prepare to participate in a poetry slam:

• Write, write, write : Encourage students to write as many poems as they can. The more they write, the more comfortable they’ll become with the writing process and the more likely they are to come up with a poem they’re proud to perform. They can find lots of poetry writing lessons here .
• Look for inspiration : Encourage students to find inspiration for their poems from their own experiences, observations, and emotions. They can also be inspired by the poetry of others or by current events and issues. One of the easiest things to write about is something you really like or enjoy. For example, if your favorite thing is playing hockey, consider writing a poem about hockey. If you’d rather play Pokémon, try writing about that.
• Workshops : Consider holding workshops or after-school sessions to help students write and polish their poems. These workshops can be led by teachers, students, or local poets and can be a great way for students to get feedback on their work and to learn new writing techniques.
• Practice reading aloud : Encourage students to rehearse performing their poems aloud to get a feel for the rhythm and flow of their words. This will help them deliver their poem with confidence and clarity. For ideas on how to rehearse, have a look at this article I wrote on How to Recite a Poem Like an Expert .

Hosting a poetry slam can be a fun and rewarding experience for both the students and the school community. By following these steps, you can create a successful and memorable event.

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How To Write Slam Poetry

Introduction to Slam Poetry

Slam poetry is an incredibly powerful art form in which performance and the poetic craft are joined to create a captivating experience for both the performer and the audience. It is a form of expression that combines aspects of the performing arts such as acting, stand-up comedy, and storytelling to create a compelling experience.Originally a form of spoken-word performance, slam poetry is gaining an increasing audience as more poets and performers are embracing this style of poetry. At its core, slam poetry is a way to express yourself – your thoughts, feelings, and stories – in an improvisational,highly energetic setting.

Finding Inspiration for Slam Poetry

The best way to find inspiration for a slam poem is to explore your own creative imagination. Take the time to really sit with yourself and allow yourself to become deeply connected to your innermost thoughts and feelings. You can also explore literature, music and pop culture for inspiration as well. Pay attention to the world around you and try to find things that spark your imagination. Look for prompts that can help to get the creative process going. The more you explore, the more ideas you will find.

Planning and Outlining the Poem

Once you have some ideas, the next step is to start planning and outlining your slam poem. Think about how you want to capture your ideas and story in an effective way and how can you structure it. Taking the time to plan and outline your poem is essential not just for creating an effective poem but also making it easier to memorize once you are ready to perform the poem.

Writing the Poem

Once you have an outline and structure for your poem, you can start writing. This is the time to really hone in your creative process and bring your words to life. Focus on crafting believable characters, developing a compelling story arc, and creating an emotional connection with the audience. Keep it as succinct as possible but stay true to your story. Don’t be afraid to take risks and be creative with your phrasing and delivery.

Rehearsing and Memorizing the Poem

Once your poem is written, it’s time to start rehearsing. Learning your poem by heart is essential to making a good impression at your slam performance. It allows you to bring out the emotion and natural flow of the words. Take the time to practice your delivery as well. Work on your body language, vocal inflection, and pacing. The more rehearsed you are, the more comfortable you will feel when performing the poem.

Classical Poetry vs Modern Slam

When it comes to poetry, slam poetry is often seen as a modern and rebellious form compared to its classical roots. While the two forms often overlap, there are differences. In slam poetry, the focus is more on the performance – the style, delivery, and emotion of the poem – and less on the structure. It is also generally shorter than most classical poems and has more of an improvisational feel to it.

The Keys to Writing Successful Slam Poetry

The key to successful slam poetry lies in its ability to captivate an audience. When performing your poem, the focus should be on engaging and connecting with your audience. The power of the poem comes from its ability to stir emotions and create an emotional experience that is both natural and intense. Other important elements to consider when writing slam poetry include creativity, originality, and flow.

Using Music and Other Props

Using props and music can also make your slam poem even more captivating. Adding musical accompaniment to your poem can help to reinforce emotion and bring out the intended message of the poem. Props can also add another layer to your delivery and help to bring out the meaning of the poem. Use props sparingly, however, as too many can be distracting to the audience.

Connecting with Your Audience

The key to successful slam poetry performance is having an understanding of the audience. It is important to take the time to get to know who they are and what they are looking for. Knowing your audience allows you to craft your poem in a way that will resonate with them. It also helps you to determine the tone, emotions, and message of the poem.

Performing Your Poem

Now it’s time to perform your poem. Remember to stay calm and focused. Showtime is not the time for writing or memorizing. Focus on using powerful body language and engaging with the audience. Most importantly, be yourself. Speak from the heart and convey your passion and emotion.

Marketing and Promoting Slam Poems

In order to get your poems out there, you need to focus on marketing and promotion. Connect with venues where you can perform your poem, seek out opportunities to speak at open mics and poetic events, and create an online presence by sharing your poems online on social media platforms. By getting the word out, you can build a following and grow as a poet.

What to Expect at a Poetry Slam

A poetry slam is an event where poets gather to perform and showcase their work. Poetry slams typically follow a certain format and scoring system. The poems are judged by a panel of judges who use a numerical system to rate each poem on a scale from zero to ten. The highest scoring poem wins the round and the poet with the highest total points at the end of all the rounds is crowned the winner.

Embracing Criticism and Feedback

The best way to ensure that your slam poetry continues to improve is to be open to criticism and feedback. Feedback can come from fellow poets or from audience members. Take the time to really listen to what is being said and think about what you could do differently next time to make it better.

Opportunities For Growth

There are plenty of opportunities for growth as a poet, even after you have perfected the basics. You can practice improvising, use dialogue and other storytelling elements, incorporate props and images, and use suspense and suspenseful climaxes in your poems – the sky’s the limit. Use these techniques to captivate your audience and create a truly unforgettable slam poetry experience.

Minnie Walters

Minnie Walters is a passionate writer and lover of poetry. She has a deep knowledge and appreciation for the work of famous poets such as William Wordsworth, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, and many more. She hopes you will also fall in love with poetry!

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25 Slam Poetry Examples (Plus Explanation and History)

Poetry has come a long way since Horatian odes and Shakespearean sonnets. While these types of poems can be a hard sell in the classroom, other forms might inspire a little more excitement. Our suggestion? Include slam poetry examples in your lesson plans! This unique performance art can really help you meet kids where they are and teach them that poetry is as relevant today as it was hundreds of years ago.

What is slam poetry?

This spoken-word performance art seeks to bring a new life and excitement to poetry. Poets perform their poems in front of audiences at competitive events called poetry slams. They do more than just read their poem—they turn it into a high-energy performance with movement, storytelling, and other theatrical elements. Authors may perform on their own or with a larger group.

Often, the poems used at these events are specifically written to be performed. The topics are diverse, frequently political, and thought-provoking. Slam poets want their audiences to feel an emotional response, whether positive or negative. Cheers and calls fill the room as the audience expresses their opinions, making the experience interactive for everyone.

Is slam poetry a poetry genre?

It’s worth noting that not everyone considers “slam poetry” to be a genre of its own. Founder Marc Kelly Smith once said, “There is no such thing as slam poetry. There is only the poetry slam.” In other words, any poem can be performed at a poetry slam without necessarily being specifically written as slam poetry.

That being said, this form of poetry has taken off in such a dynamic way that many sources now consider “slam poetry” to be its own genre. When using this term with students, you may want to share that any poem performed at a slam could be called “slam poetry,” but not everyone considers that term valid.

How did slam poetry start?

In the 1960s, beat poets like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg introduced a new performance style that caught on with the younger crowd. In the 1980s, a man named Marc Kelly Smith took that concept and brought it a new audience. He was a Chicago poet who wanted shake up the stuffy, academic image of poetry, making it more accessible to everyone. The first National Poetry Slam took place in 1990, and the medium has remained popular ever since.

Why should I use slam poetry with my students?

If your kids roll their eyes when you embark on a poetry unit, try including slam poetry videos or performances in your curriculum. This genre really turns student expectations upside down! Here are a few reasons you should be teaching it:

• Slam poetry is diverse and inclusive. Poetry slams draw people of all types, and students are more likely to see themselves represented.
• The experience is interactive, for both poets and the audience. Kids often think of poetry as quiet and boring, and poetry slams are anything but!
• It gives students a way to explore emotional and intense topics. Many poems performed at slams address political or social themes, encouraging students to tap into their emotions and consider others’ points of view.
• Slam poetry engages multiple learning styles. Reading, writing, performance, storytelling, discussion, and more … it’s all here.
• It’s fun! Seriously, this is like nothing kids have seen before.

The best way to understand a poetry slam is to see it in action. Check out the inspiring examples below to learn more. Note: Poems performed at slams often address heavy political or social topics. Always view videos in advance to make sure they’re appropriate for your audience.

Slam Poetry Examples by Kids and Teens

When your students tell you that only adults can write poems, prove them them wrong with these terrific examples of slam poetry by kids just like them. Some are on lighter subjects, terrific for introducing the concept to little ones. Others tackle the social injustices and political subjects that slam poetry is known for.

I Am a Poem!

Saverio doesn’t just love poems—he is a poem. His clever use of language and poetry terms reminds students that they can find themselves in any literature genre or style. They just have to look.

Soccer Is an Awesome Sport

Slam poetry truly comes to life when you hear it out loud. Riya’s simple poem about soccer abounds with energy through her delivery and excitement.

Here’s another example of how delivery sets slam poems apart from the rest. These young poets share their thoughts on cats in a way that will make you laugh … and make you think. They subvert expectations, which is what good art is all about.

Where I’m From

This brief but inspiring poem from 11-year-old Ruben captures one child’s life in a few short verses. This is a great way to encourage your students to write their own slam poem using the phrase “Where I’m From.”

Mathematical Blues

Here’s a topic so many kids can relate to: the challenges of math class. The rhyme and rhythm here are great, and the words sum up what lots of this young poet’s peers are thinking every day.

Notes to Beauty

Mel and Alana know that beauty comes in so many different forms, and their poem celebrates them all. Their pop culture references help kids connect with the topic, while their straightforward delivery draws the audience in from the start.

When you’re a teen, you think a lot about growing up. Sometimes you feel so much older and long for childhood. Other times, you feel so young, too young, and wish for more. Anthony’s slam poetry performance captures all these feelings in a way anyone can relate to.

Why Am I Not Good Enough?

Seventh grader Olivia wrote and performed this poem for a class project. Her central theme, “Why am I not good enough?” asks a universal question that so many teens grapple with every day.

Sixteen-year-old Chris Loos uses his slam performance to express what it feels like to live with ADHD, OCD, and other “mental disorders.” This powerful piece will speak directly to other students like him. Plus, it will open the minds of those who can’t imagine what it feels like to live this way every day.

Kids These Days

These kids are tired of being labeled, stereotyped, and overgeneralized, especially when it comes to their use of technology. Their performance celebrates the advantages they feel technology is giving their generation, and encourages adults to do the same.

“They tell me I’m not Mexican,” Leticia says. But her poem spells out all the ways she embraces and values her background and culture. Regardless of your students’ ethnicities, they’ll see themselves in this search for identity.

A Jewish Girl and a Muslim Girl

Amina and Hannah come from different religions and cultures, but their poem performance celebrates the common ground they share. It’s full of both despair and hope, making connections that unite them.

Somewhere in America

Anger, despair, and fear pour out through the words in this powerful performance. Belissa, Rhiannon, and Zariya ask important questions about American values with an intensity that draws in every viewer. This one is written and performed by kids, but it addresses adult-level topics.

All Lives Matter, but …

Like much slam poetry, Royce’s piece attacks a social and political subject: Black Lives Matter. Viewers feel his anger and fear through his words and his delivery.

Levi gave himself a black eye trying to do a somersault. For days, people told him he should make up a better story, like being in a bar fight. He uses his slam poetry performance to fight back against toxic masculinity. (Some PG-13 language.)

Slam Poetry Examples by Adults

These slam poems include award winners and those by famous poets. The topics are often challenging and the language intense, so some of these might be best saved for teens in high school lit classes.

Alexander Hamilton

OK, first things first: This isn’t exactly slam poetry. Slam poetry generally doesn’t include music made with instruments. But Lin-Manuel Miranda’s original performance of the opening number of the smash musical Hamilton was obviously inspired by the genre. Note that there’s very little singing—it’s all about the rhyme, rhythm, and flow of the words. You could remove the music, and the impact would be very much the same.

My Father’s Coat

Marc Kelly Smith is often considered the founder of the slam poetry movement. Watch him perform one of his most well-known poems, a thought-provoking piece about whether a father’s coat really fits his son.

Harry Baker’s slam poetry uses puns and humor to tell poignant stories. In this one, prime number 59 stops yearning after perfect 60 and falls in love with 61, a prime example of a love story.

What Kind of Asian Are You?

Alex Yang knows what it feels like to be lumped together, to have his individuality stripped away. He shares those feelings and experiences in this intense slam poetry performance.

Sarah Kay is a well-known poet, sometimes performing with her partner, Phil Kaye (no relation). In this work, she calls herself the most unreliable of narrators, noting that she constantly lies to herself. “I am the center of my own dramatic universe,” she notes. What teen can’t relate to that?

To This Day

Shane’s captivating poem about bullying took the world by storm. He edited his original TED Talk performance video to use in school talks. (If you’d like to see the whole thing, find it here.)

Totally Like Whatever, You Know

Taylor Mali wonders when we stopped speaking with conviction and turned everything into a question. Your students will definitely recognize themselves in the speech patterns of this poem, and it might just change the way they think—and talk. (Mali is a former classroom teacher, by the way, and educators will connect with his poem What Teachers Make.)

My Honest Poem

What starts out as a list of facts turns into a deeper look at identity. Rudy Francisco’s poems are powerful but relatable, and many of them are great for the classroom.

Before he starts his poem, Nkosi Nkululeko has a few thoughts to share. And then a few more. And a few more after that …

Ode to Sister

If your students still aren’t sure about slam poetry, remind them about Brandon Leake, who ultimately won the 2020 season of America’s Got Talent with his incredible compositions. Here’s his initial audition, which even Simon Cowell couldn’t criticize.

Do poetry slams have rules?

Though different events may set their own rules, here are some of the common guidelines of poetry slams.

• Any style of poetry is acceptable, but the author generally must be involved in performing their own poem.
• There’s no need to memorize your poem, though many do. Poets are welcome to use notes on paper or in digital form.
• Poem performances are usually limited to three minutes or less.
• No props or costumes are allowed, although you may dress in a way that matches the theme or mood of your poem.
• Performances cannot include pre-recorded music or sound effects or musical instruments. However, the performer is welcome to add their own sounds by beatboxing, singing, clapping, or using their body in other ways.

How are competitions judged?

Poetry slams are often judged competitions, each with its own rules. Usually a panel of judges is chosen in advance. They may be people with expertise in poetry, or they could just be people from the audience. The judges award scores, often on a scale of 1 to 10. (In some competitions, they drop the highest and lowest scores.) These individual scores are added together to give a final score. The highest score wins the competition.

How do I hold a poetry slam?

Thinking of holding your own slam? Go for it! Just remember that not all students are comfortable performing in front of their peers. Plus, be sure to offer some guidance to the audience on constructive ways to offer their feedback. These resources can help:

Looking for more ways to inspire students with poetry? Check out 15 Types of Poetry To Share With Kids (Plus Examples of Each).

Plus, get all the latest teaching tips and ideas, straight to your inbox, when you sign up for our free newsletters, about the author.

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12 Of The Best Slam Poetry Performances To Leave You In Awe

Yashvi Peeti

Yashvi Peeti is an aspiring writer and an aspiring penguin. She has worked as an editorial intern with Penguin Random House India and HarperCollins Publishers India. She is always up for fangirling over poetry, taking a walk in a park, and painting tiny canvases. You can find her on Instagram @intangible.perception

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A poetry slam is an event in which poets compete with gorgeous spoken word performances before a live audience and a panel of judges. The concept was invented in the 1980s by Marc Kelly Smith, a construction worker who thought poetry was losing its passion. He wanted to make poetry events more engrossing and energetic. His idea of a poetry slam was to let it be open to anyone who was willing to participate. The judges would be five random people from the audience who’d rate each performance on a scale of 0 to 10. Out of the five scores, the highest and lowest scores were dropped. The three remaining scores were added to give the poet an overall score. The poet with the highest score at the end of the competition was deemed the winner with the best slam poetry!

Marc’s original framework of a poetry slam is still followed, with little tweaks. The art form is getting increasingly popular across the USA, Europe, Canada and Japan. Today, you can experience the rich celebration of poetry through slams from the comfort of your home. You can watch both live or recorded performances online or be lifted by sheer eloquence when experiencing slam poetry events in person.

Slam poetry is democratic. The only criteria for winning is your ability to move the audience with the power of your poetry. With the tense political climate and unending biases, slam poetry events feel like precious protected corners. It fills me with joy and courage to see so many people speaking their truth out loud, through poetry. The experience of a poet performing their own piece can be moving and cathartic for both the poet and the audience. I encourage you to watch or participate in slam poetry events and let yourself feel all that they can make you feel.

Here’s a compilation of some of the best slam poetry to send shivers down your spine.

1) “ Mama ” by Emi Mahmoud

“I’m not saying dating is a first world problem, but these trifling motherfuckers seem to be. The kind who’ll quote Rumi, but not know what he sacrificed for war. Who’ll fawn over Lupita, but turn their racial filters on. Who’ll take their politics with a latte when I take mine with tear gas. Every guy I meet wants to be my introduction to the dark side, Wants me to open up this obsidian skin and let them read every tearful page, Because what survivor hasn’t had her struggle made spectacle? Don’t talk about the motherland unless you know that being from Africa means waking up an afterthought in this country. Don’t talk about my flavor unless you know that My flavor is insurrection, it is rebellion, resistance My flavor is mutiny It is burden, it is grit and it is compromise And you don’t know compromise until you’ve rebuilt your home for the third time Without bricks, without mortar, without any other option”

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2) “Why are Muslims So…” by Sakila and Hawa

“No graffiti artist is going to tell me to go home No Call of Duty player is going to threaten me No overprotective bigot of a mother is gonna ruin my day No ignorant bystander is gonna leave me feeling left out No tumblr post is gonna scare me away And no biased border patrol is gonna stop me from seeing my family

Because today is one of the holiest day of the year And instead of spending time with my family, I’m up on stage defending my family.”

3) “Hair” by Elizabeth Acevedo

“They say Dominicans can do the best hair. I mean they wash, set, flatten the spring in any loc but what they mean is we’re the best at swallowing amnesia, in a cup of morisoñando, die dreaming because we’d rather do that than live in this reality, caught between orange juice and milk, between reflections of the sun and whiteness. What they mean is, ‘Why would you date a black man?’ What they mean is, ‘a prieto cocolo’ What they mean is, ‘Why would two oppressed people come together? It’s two times the trouble.’ What they really mean is, ‘Have you thought of your daughter’s hair?’ And I don’t tell them that we love like sugar cane, brown skin, pale flesh, meshed in pure sweetness.”

Books by Elizabeth Acevedo:   The Poet X , With the Fire on High , Clap When You Land

4) “ Adrenaline Rush ” by Rudy Francisco

“Once, a friend of a friend asked me why there aren’t more black people in the X Games and I said, ‘You don’t get it.’

Being black is one of the most extreme sports in America. We don’t need to invent new ways of risking our lives because the old ones have been working for decades.”

Books by Rudy Francisco: Helium , I’ll Fly Away

5) “ What Kind Of Asian Are You ” by Alex Dang

“Let me tell you about being so marginalized, it’s to the point of ‘I really can’t believe that’s Asian!’ Let me tell you about derogatory terms and origins of words such as: chink and gook let me tell you about the struggle of Asian parents not knowing the language, so we, Ate pet food because it was cheaper Let me tell you about the job of interpreter When you’re still playing with Lego blocks but your English is already that much better than your parents Let me tell you about honor and dignity Let me tell you about a society that projects us as nothing but the secondary role and never the leading man Let me tell you all the things you don’t want to know like how chink, comes from the clinking of metal to railroad as the slaves built train-tracks for this country to be connected”

6) “Fight For Love” by Andrea Gibson

“Thank you for telling me there’s no need to open our relationship because being with me is already like being with fifty impossible people. Thank you for accepting my friend request for the fifth time this year. Thank you for screaming all the way home from that straight bar to the bed where our bodies made up while the full moon flew through the window, and a firefly poured into the room and landed in your hand, which you opened like a ring box, and asked me to marry you, and we were so new, I blushed instead of answered. But a firefly is forever and you know what my answer is. A firefly is forever. And you know what my answer is.”

Books by Andrea Gibson: Pole Dancing To Gospel Hymns , The Lord Of Butterflies , You Better Be Lightning

7) “The Period Poem” by Dominique Christina

“women Know how to let things go, How to let a dying thing leave the body, How to become new, How to regenerate, How to wax and wane not unlike the moon and tides, Both of which influence how YOU behave. I digress. Women have vaginas that can speak to each other. By this I mean, when we’re with our friends, Our sisters, our mothers, Our menstrual cycles will actually sync the fuck up. My own vagina is mad influential. Everybody I love knows how to bleed with me. (Hold onto that, there’s a metaphor in it).”

Books by Dominique Christina :  They Are All Me ,  This Is Woman’s Work

8) “Translated Disney” by Diksha Bijlani

“I am a descendant of a family of multilingual folk who are synonymous to non-English speaking. Who sent me to English school so I could be better than them, Because speaking English in India is status English in India is, ‘Look, I have a verbal Mercedes!’ English in India is sucking up to the colonialists, but forgetting they left a long time ago. The first time I dated a white guy, I would sometimes let words from my native language slip into a text out of reflex, and he’d dismiss them as typos.”

9) “Principles” by Danez Smith

“ii all lives don’t matter the same as all lives

some lives matter only to themselves

some lives matter only they hood

some lives matter of fact & some lives up for debate

all lives matter to someone

but what about this life of mine?

honey colored & black as it is?

what my life mean to you? am i talking to you? do you wish me justice or do you wish I would just shut up already, vanish already?”

Books by Danez Smith  :  Don’t Call Us Dead: Poems ,  Homie ,  Black Movie

10) “In My Skin” by Sha’Condria “iCon” Sibley

“This is a poem for every poem that uses cliché wordplay and metaphors to conceal a disgust for makeup under the mask of empowerment. You know the queen-you-don’t-need-makeup-to-make-up-for-something-you-are-lacking poems. That are as overdone as YouTube eyebrow tutorials. I hear you. But your preference for natural beauty hasn’t been there on the days I’ve been brave enough to face the world bare-faced and you forced your stares, comments and recommendations into my already irritated skin. It has not been there on days when no matter what I tried, acne and eczema were still hell bent on leaving their mark. This is not vanity, it is survival. It is the only way I can avoid the smudges of your jokes smudge off on the collar of my self-esteem.”

11) “ Pocket-Sized Feminism ” by Blythe Baird

“Once, I told a boy I was powerful and he told me to mind my own business.

Once, a boy accused me of practicing misandry. ‘You think you can take over the world?’ And I said ‘No, I just want to see it. I just need to know it is there for someone.’

Once, my dad informed me sexism is dead and reminded me to always carry pepper spray in the same breath. We accept this state of constant fear as just another component of being a girl.”

Books by Blythe Baird: If My Body Could Speak

12) “ Joey ” by Neil Hilborn

“When I wanted to open myself up and see if there really were bees rattling around in there, my parents got me a therapist. I can pinpoint the session

that brought me back to the world. That session cost seventy-five dollars. Seventy-five dollars is two weeks of groceries. It’s a month of bus fare.

It’s not even a school year’s worth of new shoes. It took weeks of seventy-five dollars to get to the one that saved my life. We both had parents that believed

us when we said we weren’t OK, but mine could afford to do something about it. I wonder how many kids like Joey wanted to die and were unlucky enough

to actually pull it off. How many of those kids had someone who cared about them but also had to pay rent?”

Books by Neil Hilborn: Our Numbered Days

How to Find the Best Slam Poetry Events

Here’s some sources to find the best slam poetry near you (both online and in person!):

• Eventbrite : Find events based on your geographical location
• Poets.org : Have this on your radar for poetry readings, workshops and slam poetry events!
• Brave New Voices : This is an international slam poetry competition. Check out their website to register as a participant or show your love and support for all the brave new voices from the audience.

You can also frequently flip through the cultural events section of your local newspaper and mark your calendar for any upcoming poetry slam event. I hope you invite poetry in and let it open you up in ways you haven’t before.

For more insights on the best slam poetry, check out 10 More Poetry Slam Videos You Must Watch and 14 Gorgeous Poems Written and Performed By Poets Of Color.

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Embracing Your Voice: A Conversation with 2024 Poetry Out Loud National Champion Niveah Glover

2024 Poetry Out Loud National Champion Niveah Glover with National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson (left) and Poetry Foundation President Michelle T. Boone (right). Photo by James Kegley

Under a flutter of confetti with the opening beat of The Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling” swelling around her, Niveah Glover was named our 2024 Poetry Out Loud National Champion on May 2nd, the first from Florida to win the Finals competition in the program’s 19-year history.

After reciting poems by Patricia Smith, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and Ashanti Anderson, she walked away with not only the title but a $20,000 grand prize. And it wasn’t just a good night for Glover—it was a great week, as shortly after her big win, the graduating senior at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, Florida, was named a U.S. Presidential Scholar in Arts. This program recognizes students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative and performing arts, and it is one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students.

Glover’s hard work and many accomplishments, which also include serving as Jacksonville’s Youth Poet Laureate, have earned her a spot in Howard University’s incoming freshman class, and we are thrilled to see what comes next for this talented student.

A few days after winning the 2024 Poetry Out Loud National Finals, we sat down with Glover via video conference to talk about her reaction to the big night, writing her own poetry (did we mention she was also runner-up in this year’s Poetry Ourselves written competition?), and what advice she has for future Poetry Out Loud participants.

National Endowment for the Arts: What did it feel like in the moment you found out that you were the Poetry Out Loud National Champion?

Niveah Glover: It felt so surreal. It still feels like that. I don't even know how that happened.  I know I put in a lot of work and a lot of time, but it still felt crazy. There were a lot of great competitors from all over, and they really did their best. They showed their best, and so you can only come in with doing your own best. You can never say, “Oh, I know I'm going to win,” or any of that because everyone is coming with the same intentions. It was very surreal.

NEA: How was the Finals experience overall, coming in and meeting all your fellow state champions?

Glover: Life-changing, really. It was so great to see so many people so happy about being there, just being there—not even about the prize money, but just to be in the same vicinity as each other. [There were] people telling you their poem selections and being happy to explore literature with you, and I think the moment I got there, I was like, “This is definitely a different experience than I had at state.” At state you just come one day and you do it and then you go home. This was very much a longer process that felt way more community based, and I appreciated that.

NEA: You’re so connected to your community back in Jacksonville. What was the reaction when you got home and went back to school after winning?

Glover: That is probably the most heartwarming part of this entire experience. So many people back home were watching it live and they were recording themselves, sending me their reactions. I was backstage trying to get into the groove, and I was getting live updates. People were saying they were watching along and they were rooting for me and my entire poetry community here [in Jacksonville] was watching and supportive. 

When our final performances were uploaded and we shared it, that was even more love. There were over 2,000 people who watched my [Instagram] reel of the performance and just sending so many well wishes and congratulations. I'm still getting that to this day.

NEA: That's amazing. And this was not your first time at the Finals. You were an honorable mention back in 2022. How do you feel like you've grown in these two years since that moment, both in terms of the competition and also what the program has done for you?

Glover: Back then I was very much still scared of my own voice, so it was hard for me to continue to do my own work because even in my own writing I was starting to reach out to heavier topics, topics that were more personal.

In [my] sophomore year, it was really me transitioning into a whole new version of myself and of poetry, and at the time, POL definitely helped me usher myself into the new person I was becoming, just exploring some other poets’ work, finding out what I truly wanted to do with my life and with my art. Because I had the privilege of having that experience, even though it was online, I was able to etch myself in stone, say, “Hey, this is what I want to do. This is what I love to do.” It kind of gave me another avenue to look at this art form, not just coming from somebody who's doing it themselves and practicing their own work, but now spending time, spending a large amount of time, with someone else's work.

Seeing myself up there for the finals and comparing that to semifinals [in 2022], I can drastically see the difference when it comes to confidence and piece selection, all of those things.

2024 Poetry Out Loud National Champion Niveah Glover of Florida. Photo by James Kegley

NEA: As you mentioned, you’re a poet yourself. Can you tell me about when you started writing poetry?

Glover: I began writing for performance pieces. I began slamming at 12 years old. I was the youngest slam participant I think Jacksonville has probably ever seen.  My teachers and my mentors threw me into the deep end a little bit because they knew I loved stories, and I had a big imagination and I loved to be able to express myself. After feeling voiceless for years and years, I finally found something that I felt I could do.

When I started slamming, I was writing work that I had seen other people writing in the community—work about politics, works about Black female womanhood, other themes that I had seen my mentors touch on. From there I took that love of slam and I said, “Okay. Well, what can I do with this in a larger space? How can I hone in?” My city has two predominant art schools, a middle school and a high school, and I auditioned for the middle school and got in for creative writing, and then it was just honing the skill from there. It’s a long journey. I've been writing and performing for seven years. I’m still diagnosed with anxiety, still very introverted, so I still have things that I'm definitely still working on, but poetry gives me an outlet to express myself.

NEA: You also won the runner-up spot for Poetry Ourselves for written poem. I loved your poem. It was incredible.

Glover: Oh, thank you.

NEA: Can you talk about writing that one and what the experience was like when you heard that you had received runner-up?

Glover: Yes. That was also crazy. I was not expecting that at all.

I'm a creative writer. I'm a poet and a playwright. That is what I plan to do with the rest of my life, and I had to do a portfolio where I had to talk about something that was really deep and personal to me, something that I've experienced.

I often advocate for young Black girls and young Black women, because the over-sexualization of us is something that is not often talked about. I've personally experienced over-sexualization, and so to write the poem, “These Thighs,” it was a really, really hard but a necessary step in learning how to create the type of poems and poetry that is personal. Creating that was the first step in creating work that allowed me to be less of a we and our, because I write a lot of “we/our” community poems, but that was the first time I wrote an “I” poem. 

NEA: Thank you for sharing that. In your video interview after the semifinals you talked about one of the poems you recited, “Self-Portrait as Kendrick Lamar, Laughing to the Bank” by Ashanti Anderson, and what that meant to you. I know you're also a big fan of Patricia Smith.

Glover: Yes.

NEA: What about her work resonates with you, and why did you choose “Hip Hop Ghazal” to recite for the Finals this year?

Glover: I am a huge Patricia Smith fan. If I had to pick three writers that I think have changed the trajectory of my life, it's Patricia Smith, Terrance Hayes, and Kiese Laymon. Those are three writers that I stand on to this day.

I did an entire artist breakdown of Patricia Smith. For one of the assignments in my arts high school, you have to delve deep into a poet and their work and their whole journey—how they started, their books. So I began my introduction to Patricia Smith with her persona poems, and I always thought it was so interesting that she could easily put on the voice of other people, and it would feel so natural and so real and so raw. But she never lost sight of who she was as a person or as a poet.

“Hip Hop Ghazal” specifically was one of the poems in one of the collections that I read in my research about Patricia Smith, and it always stuck out to me because it was a poem where I felt like I knew the woman who was speaking. She sounded like my grandmother or my aunt, and I was like, “This is Black women in their joy.”

2024 Poetry Out Loud Champion Niveah Glover and National Finalist Grisham Locke from Louisiana (right) meeting semifinal judges Matt Bassett, Taylor Johnson, and Leslie Sainz, after advancing to the National Finals. Photo by James Kegley

NEA: As somebody who's said they’re shy, which is so hard to imagine based on your performances, what advice do you have for students who feel that way and are intimidated by Poetry Out Loud?

Glover: I think if you sit with the words long enough and the words really mean something to you, they really speak to you, you're going to want to say them out loud. That is the beauty of the Poetry Out Loud [competition], is that it gives you the space you need to sit with these really deep thoughts, these really raw emotions and really intricate, nuanced pieces of literature. It allows you to get it ingrained in you to the point where you feel like you have to say it.

My biggest tip is to love it—really love the piece and to give yourself all the room you need to keep building on it. I always recommend you stick with those poems. You stick with those poems, you build on those poems, and you let those poems become a part of you. That way, when you are reciting it for an audience, it's not like you are just reciting something you don't believe, but you're reciting something that's ingrained in you.

NEA: Great advice. And what’s next for you?

Glover: In the fall, I'll be attending Howard University, where I'll be double majoring in creative writing and political science. I will be launching my very first poetry book, with all the personal I poems that I'm finally letting flow into the world.

What I hope to do with the rest of my life is to become a playwright. Everyone always says they want to be on Broadway. Well, I would love to be on Broadway, but not me, per se, but my work or my words. I'm debuting my first full-length play, Callas . It's a period piece that takes place in 1970 about three sisters who are dealing with their own personal issues while burying their mom, and so it's about the weekend of their mother's funeral and what happens, the chaos that ensues in those three days as they're continuing to come to terms with her death.

I have a lot of fun, exciting things happening. I'm really excited for the rest of the journey.

Check out Glover's recitation of "Self Portrait as Kendrick Lamar Laughing to the Bank" by Ashanti Anderson from the 2024 Poetry Out Loud National Finals! And read her Poetry Ourselves poem "These Thighs" on arts.gov .

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Local News | Uptown Poetry Slam comes to Evanston SPACE

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He had thought, “Why is this artform that I have been writing and reading most of my life presented onstage like an academic exercise?”

His solution, Uptown Poetry Slam, was started at the Green Mill in Chicago in 1986 and has spread across the country and overseas. You’ll understand why it’s so popular when Smith brings the show to SPACE at 1 p.m. May 26 in Evanston.

There will be three sets.

“It starts with an open mic,” Smith said. “Anybody can get up there. There’s a one-poem limit and you’d better not go over three minutes.”

The second set will be performances by two guest poets, Eleonora Fisco, an Italian spoken word artist, and Andy Karol, a Chicago-based performance poet. “It will be Eleonora’s text that’s been translated to English,” Smith explained. “Andy will present it in English. Eleonora will present it in Italian at the same time — interlaced.”

For the final set, the audience will participate in “The Dumb Rhyming Word Game.”

“I come up with a theme for the night,” Smith said. “Anybody in the audience can write a poem on the spot with that theme. We get three words from the audience that they have to use in the poem — and rhyme.”

The Futz Band, a jazz band, will perform at the slam.

When we spoke via Zoom, Smith was in France hosting a festival and conducting a workshop. “Slam is big in France,” said Smith, who goes there a couple of times each year.

He noted that the Uptown Poetry Slam ran at the Green Mill every Sunday night after he started it there in 1986. “Before COVID, it was the longest-running weekly nightclub show in Chicago,” he said.

The Green Mill Uptown Poetry Slam went on hiatus when it was shut down because of COVID, but restarted two years ago as a monthly show every third Sunday afternoon.

Smith reported that there are shows modeled after the Uptown Poetry Slam all over the world. “Probably a thousand different cities have it,” he estimated. “To give you an example of how big it got, I was at the 2014 German National Slam in Hamburg. The final night of the competition, 5,000 people attended.”

Smith said the goal from the beginning was, “Don’t bore anybody. We learned the art of performance poetry which borrows from all performance arts. We’re lucky that we can incorporate dance movements in the presentation. Just about anything.”

Emily Calvo has been involved with the Uptown Poetry Slam since 1993. “I’m a poet but I’ve also helped Marc promote it when we had the national poetry slams,” Calvo said. She also helps coordinate and organize special slam projects.

Smith credits Calvo with convincing him to restart the Uptown Poetry Slam.

“I know so many people value it so much,” Calvo said. She is one of those people.

“Number one is community — the connection we build with other writers,” Calvo said. “It also inspires my own creativity and keeps me writing as a poet.”

Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.

Uptown Poetry Slam

When: 1 p.m. May 26

Where: SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston

Tickets: $14

Information: 847-492-8860; evanstonspacemusic.com

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Experience an unforgettable evening with Georges River Council and Advance Diversity Services, as we gather to celebrate the transformative power of slam poetry in honour of Refugee Week.   Prepare to be captivated by the words of local storytellers at our upcoming poetry event, where tales of resilience, strength, and unity will echo through the air.   The theme for this year's Refugee Week is "Finding Freedom,” which centres on the importance of family.   The event will focus on this theme, delving into the profound significance of familial bonds in the lives of refugees. In addition to curated performances, members of the audience will be invited to step into the spotlight during our open mic session. The evening promises a diverse array of poetic expressions, with performances delivered both in-language and in English.   Join us as we honour the resilience of those who have found freedom within the embrace of their loved ones.   Georges River Council Mayor Sam Elmir said: "Refugee Week is not just a time to reflect, but to celebrate the strength and resilience of our community.”   “Through the power of poetry, we unite in honouring the journeys of those who have found refuge and freedom within the embrace of family. This Multicultural Poetry Slam is a testament to our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and the celebration of human spirit."   “Join us for an evening where words transcend boundaries, and together, we discover the beauty of unity and resilience.”   "I’d also like to thank our event partner, Advance Diversity Services, for their support of this event,” added the Mayor.   Upon arrival, guests will also be treated to a selection of canapés and refreshing beverages, setting the stage for an evening of inspiration and camaraderie. Bookings for this event are essential. Reserve your spot via the Multicultural Poetry Slam page on Council’s website.  

Event Details

Date: Thursday 20 June 2024. Time: 5.00pm - 7.30pm. Location: Hurstville Library, 12-22 Dora Street, Hurstville. Cost: Free

Text Analysis Slam Poetry Project

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Description

What's your favorite slam poem? Before their next poetry slam, middle school and high school students will love exploring spoken word poets and slam poems to find the answer to that question. Then, they analyze a slam poet's writing style through discussion and analysis of their "favorite" poem. This is a great way to introduce students to the world of slam poetry while incorporating critical thinking skills!

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Here's what you will receive in this digital and print resource:

★ My Favorite Poem Assignment Sheet and Feedback Rubric (2 Pages, 2 Slides) so that you have a ready-made assessment.

★ My Favorite Poem Analysis Presentation Graphic Organizer (1 Page, 1 Slide) so that you have a structured option to help students prepare for their presentation.

★ Compare/Contrast Note Sheet for Slam Poem Style Analysis (1 Page, 1 Slide) so that you have an option for differentiation. Up the rigor by having students compare/contrast two different poems by the same author or two poems by different authors which share the same topic or theme.

★ Product Link and Teacher Notes (1 Page) so that you have instructions and tips for using this assignment with students at your fingertips.

★ Digital “Getting Started” Guide (2 Pages) so that you’re able to swiftly make your own copy of this digital product and share it with your students.

★ Digital “FAQ” Guide (2 Pages) provides detailed answers to common digital resource questions!

Benefits of Digital Interactive Resources:

★High engagement = happy students and happy teacher

★1:1 and “flipping the classroom”

★Develop college and career readiness skills

★Stay organized (less paper)

★Fluid integration of ELA skills

★Maximize class time for student learning

Let's Connect!

★ Stop by the Lindsay Ann Learning Blog!

Copyright © 2016-Present, Lindsay Ann Learning

⇒ Permission for use by one teacher in his or her own classroom.

⇒ Not for public display or digital sharing.

⇒ If you intend to share with others, please purchase an additional license.

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