Slamming: The Roots, Function, and Future of Slam Poetry in Patricia Smith's Performances by Elizabeth Abitz
Dublin Core
Title
Slamming: The Roots, Function, and Future of Slam Poetry in Patricia Smith's Performances by Elizabeth Abitz
Subject
English
Description
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.
Creator
Elizabeth Abitz
Source
Senior Showcase Oral Presentation
Publisher
Ripon College
Date
April 18, 2017
Rights
The author reserves all rights.
Identifier
Major: English
Minor: Education
Minor: Education
Marshall, Wisconsin
Collection
Citation
Elizabeth Abitz, “Slamming: The Roots, Function, and Future of Slam Poetry in Patricia Smith's Performances by Elizabeth Abitz,” Senior Showcase Digital Collection, accessed April 22, 2025, https://rcseniorshowcase.omeka.net/items/show/61.