The differences

In this blog I will be focusing on slam and spoken word poetry, but in order to analyze these types of poetry one must first understand what separates them from each other and form on-the-page poetry.

First we will start with on-the-page poetry:
This genre of poetry is what most people think of when they think of poetry. It is classic Robert Frost and Edgar Allen Poe stuff, the poems your english teacher made you read in high school. While this form of literature is valid and requires hard work and talent, it is not what this blog will be focusing on. On-the-page poetry is written to, as the title says, live on the page. It is typically taught in classes because it is easy to analyze. You can look at it and hold in your hand. But poetry can be so much more than calligraphy and two paths in a yellow wood.

Next lets talk about spoken word poetry:
The line between spoken word and slam is often blurred. Spoken word is meant to sound beautiful. It usually contains long eloquent metaphors and elaborate word choice. Spoken word is suppose to be comforting. It is softer, quieter even.

And finally we have slam poetry:
Slam poetry is what we will mostly be talking about on this blog. Slam poetry is often politically charged, it almost always has a message or a point to get across. Slam poetry tends to be loud, raw, and sometimes even uncomfortable. There is no censorship. Poets unleash everything, often screaming into the microphone. Slam poetry is more than just words, it's a battle cry, it's a revolution.