Slamming: The Roots, Function, and Future of Slam Poetry in Patricia Smith's Performances by Elizabeth Abitz

Slamming: The Roots, Function, and Future of Slam Poetry in Patricia Smith's Performances by Elizabeth Abitz

English

The declining readership of poetry has caused concern amongst scholars, leading them to ask questions: is poetry too difficult or too elitist? These concerns arise because of poetry's dependence of scholars by generating a new audience that appreciates lively performances of the poet's marginalized identity. No one has been more successful on the slam stage than four time National Poetry Slam champion Patricia Smith, as her performances harken back to poetry's roots in orality. This paper examines how Smith's slam poetry imitates the intimate relationship between the storyteller and the listener from oral cultures, drawing parallels to authorship and identity, performance and composition, and modern and oral audiences.

Elizabeth Abitz

Senior Showcase Oral Presentation

Ripon College

April 18, 2017

The author reserves all rights.

Major: English
Minor: Education

Marshall, Wisconsin