"Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities."
This includes the origins of spoken word poetry, how it has evolved over time, and how it has been used as a form of political and social commentary.
Oral Tradition: The practice of passing down stories, myths, and narratives through spoken word from generation to generation.
Performance Poetry: The art form that focuses on the performance of poetry, often incorporating elements of hip hop, jazz, and other musical genres.
Slam Poetry: The competitive form of performance poetry that originated in Chicago in the 1980s and has since spread across the globe.
African Griots: The tradition of oral storytelling in West Africa, where Griots would be responsible for preserving and transmitting the history and cultural values of their community through music and storytelling.
Beat Poetry: A literary movement that originated in the 1950s and focused on the counterculture movements of the time, including anti-establishment and anti-consumerism sentiments.
Spoken Word Recording Artists: The artists who have emerged in the genre of spoken word and who have recorded and released spoken word albums.
Social Activism: The role that spoken word has played in addressing issues of social justice, inequality, and oppression, including the Civil Rights Movement and more recent movements such as Black Lives Matter.
Literary History: The relationship between spoken word and written literature, including the influence of poets and writers like Langston Hughes, Allen Ginsberg, and Amiri Baraka.
Performance Techniques: The various techniques that spoken word artists use in their performances, including voice modulation, pacing, and physical movement.
Music and Soundscapes: The incorporation of music and sound effects in spoken word performances, including beatboxing, musical interludes, and soundscapes.
Literary Devices: The use of poetic and rhetorical devices in spoken word, including repetition, alliteration, and metaphor.
Spoken Word Venues: The various venues where spoken word performances take place, including coffee shops, poetry slams, and spoken word festivals.
Spoken Word Education: The role that education plays in the development of spoken word artists, including university programs, workshops, and mentorship opportunities.
International Perspectives: The history of spoken word in different parts of the world, including the African continent, Europe, and Asia.
Technology and Spoken Word: The impact that technology has had on the dissemination and distribution of spoken word performances, including recording and social media platforms.
Oral Tradition: This type of spoken word history refers to the transmission of knowledge, stories, and information through spoken words from one generation to the next without the use of the written word. It is typically found in cultures that have no written language.
Epic Poetry: Epic poetry is a form of spoken word that recounts the heroic deeds and adventures of a culture's legendary heroes or mythological figures. These narratives are often recited in verse form and accompanied by music or other sound effects.
Performance Poetry: Performance poetry is a type of spoken word that is meant to be performed in front of an audience. It often involves the use of dramatic gestures, vocal inflections, and other forms of physical expression.
Griot Tradition: The Griot tradition is a West African storytelling tradition that is rooted in the oral history of West African cultures. Griots are professional storytellers, singers, and musicians who are responsible for preserving and transmitting the history, culture, and traditions of their people.
Folklore: This type of spoken word history encompasses the tales, legends, and myths that are part of a culture's oral tradition. These stories often have a moral or symbolic meaning that instructs and entertains the listener.
Verse Drama: Verse drama is a form of spoken word that combines elements of poetry and drama. It is typically performed by actors in a theatrical setting and often involves complex language, poetic imagery, and dramatic tension.
Poetry Slam: A poetry slam is a competitive event where poets perform their work in front of an audience and judges. The goal is to receive the highest score from the judges based on the quality of the performance.
Spoken Word Poetry: Spoken word poetry is a form of poetry that is meant to be performed aloud. It often deals with social issues, personal experiences, and political commentary, and may incorporate elements of hip-hop, jazz, and other musical genres.
Beat Poetry: Beat poetry is a type of spoken word that originated in the Beat generation of the 1950s and 1960s. It is characterized by its freeform style and use of improvisation, rhythm, and repetition.
Storytelling: Storytelling is the art of sharing stories through spoken word. It is a universal human experience that has been used to transmit culture, history, and knowledge since the beginning of human communication.
"It is a 20th-century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition."
"...focuses on the aesthetics of recitation and word play, such as the performer's live intonation and voice inflection."
"Spoken word is a 'catchall' term that includes any kind of poetry recited aloud, including poetry readings, poetry slams, jazz poetry, and hip hop music."
"Yes, it can include comedy routines and prose monologues."
"The poetic text takes its quality less from the visual aesthetics on a page, but depends more on phonaesthetics, or the aesthetics of sound."
"It includes the performer's live intonation and voice inflection."
"...including poetry readings, poetry slams, jazz poetry, and hip hop music."
"...based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities, such as...word play..."
"Yes, it can include comedy routines."
"No, it includes any kind of poetry recited aloud."
"...the performer's aesthetic qualities."
"...depends more on phonaesthetics, or the aesthetics of sound."
"It is a 20th-century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition."
"...focuses on the aesthetics of recitation and word play."
"Yes, it can include jazz poetry and hip hop music."
"...including poetry readings and poetry slams."
"Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art..."
"...based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities."
"It depends on phonaesthetics, or the aesthetics of sound."