Poetry Slam Competition


by Bernard Scala - Date: 2007-04-23 - Word Count: 487 Share This!

Some people trace slam poetry to the beat poets of the 1950's. Scholars believe that slam poetry predates written poetry. Whenever slam poetry began it has climbed to a big event that hosts approximately 75 teams from the United State, Canada, and some other countries.

Before explaining what and how a slam poetry contest works it is important that you understand the history of it. Many believe that the slam competitions held today were started by Marc Smith at the Get Me High Lounge in Chicago. From Marc Smith's starting of slam competitions it was then moved to the Green Mill Jazz Club where it will find its permanent Chicago Home. From there the competition would eventually move to Fort Mason, San Francisco in 1990 where the first National Slam took place.

Although there are many world wide poetry slams there is only one that focuses on positive Spoken Word and Hip Hop. It is the ISPT, or the International SpokenWord and Poetry Tournament. This tournament was created by the Hip Hop Feminist Nation and focuses primarily on creating positive Spoken Word and Hip Hop. The tournament has also improved the biases and weakness of the PSI (poetry slam, inc) and the IWPS (individual world poetry slam) by having a head to head poet format.

How does slam poetry work? What are the rules of slam poetry?

In order for many poets to participate in the slam there are traditionally two to four rounds of elimination rounds. The standard format for elimination rounds is an 8-4-2 set-up in which eight poets begin the competition and it will eventually end with to poets in the last rounds.

Some slams are invitational slams in which you are invited to participate. In these slams there is usually a 5-5-5 format in which case five poets read three poems each and there is no elimination so the poets can get a chance to better show themselves off.

In most slam competitions there is a time limit of three minutes and an extra 10 seconds for a grace period. Your score can be penalized if it goes over the time limit.

In certain occasions, The Props Slams for instance, costumes and props are allowed. In most slams, however, costumes and props are not allowed. This occurs because the slam hosts do not want a poet to win because of his/her clothing or prop. In certain competitions where this rule is being enforced very strictly a pair of sunglasses can even be seen as a prop.

The scoring for these competitions are done by randomly chosen members of the audience. The scoring is different at almost every competition so it is hard to tell the most popular.

The most popular slam is an Open Slam where anyone can compete. Other slams are the Theme Slam, Dead Poet Slam, "1-2-3" Slam, Team Slam, and Props Slam.

It is certainly an evolving form of poetry and is definitely a must do competition for all poets.


Related Tags: poetry, poetry slam, poetry slam competition, slam poetry contest, slam poetry, national poetry slam

Some people trace slam poetry to the beat poets of the 1950's. slam poetry

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