I love rhyming pieces more than anything, especially when the piece doesn't come off as contrived. I'm always amazed at how classic poets pulled off rhymes so flawlessly without sounding like "she looks at the flower... every hour." But I don't pay much attention to poetry in general, especially since I attended a workshop with a "professional poet" who bragged about the quality and depth of his work, but the pieces he shared all seemed contrived and empty to me.
Personally, the times I tried free verse, it came naturally. But I can't derive any pleasure from it. If I purposely blow meaning out of proportion, people snap and hum about how deep it was.
Which brings me to spoken word, an art form I really got to absorb in college.
Spoken Word
I recently fell in love with spoken word. And I fell out of love with it just as quickly. This isn't always the case, but spoken word is an example of an art form that started out great and got watered down over time. But this is because it had a purpose--an original focus and a particular group of artists--that it is being drawn away from.
Anything goes nowadays at spoken word gatherings. People throw analogies so strange no one could possibly identify with them, yet everyone snaps because "it's gotta mean something deep, right?" The recent changes in spoken word I've experienced are that pieces tend to be very shallow in the regard that they compete for snaps and leave behind true emotion, rhythm, and meaning.
Spoken word originated in Harlem and naturally flowed with the hardships Black people faced. Today, people use it to talk about the time their sister ate their sandwich and other things that don't flow the same way Black and Hispanic artists can make the art form work as they tackle themes of discrimination and oppression. At the same time, many of these artists of color have stopped telling their own stories to catch up with the hype of social justice and "deepness."
The great thing about spoken word is that your favorite poem can be your own, and that's okay. It makes sense that you can be most enthralled by the beauty your own experience naturally produced. This is also how the poetry serves as a coping mechanism--it reveals the beauty in the struggle. Though, as I mentioned above, the beauty of spoken word is melting away because people are trying to force it rather than let it come. The rhythms today are very contrived and every other artist sounds the same [to me].
People who are really into spoken word get offended at this, but some are quick to agree and say that's just how it is. No--that's what it has become. Your unique perspective has the same rhythm as the dude next door? I don't think so. And why does your voice change to sound like Gustavo's? What happened to Charlie? I want to hear Charlie. Charlie has a story that is just as powerful as Gustavo's. (Maybe--again, it's an art form attuned to minority struggle. This is my opinion, but this is why spoken word has stopped resonating with me.) I'm sure plenty of people are satisfied with the direction the art is going because it is becoming more inclusive.
I am not a spoken word artist myself because, as I said, I don't like writing free verse and I can't write rhymes. I wrote one piece and never performed it. I do love, however, how the community is so close-knit and supporting and everyone has their favorite poem from each artist in their community. I also love how frequently poems are performed in duos and trios.
And on a note that almost seems tangential at this point, my favorite poem is A Rainbow of Friends by P.K. Hallinan. It's been my favorite ever since I was a child. Now that I think about it, I performed it as spoken word many times when I was a child. Everything comes full circle!
But I suppose I prefer my poetry with vocals and rhythm nowadays.
How about you? Has your life been changed by poetry? Do you wish it were more popular or used in more creative ways? Do you have an undying love for spoken word that will persist no matter how much the art form changes? Don't forget, music is poetry, too!
Another blog prompt brought to us by Wriye.
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