Poetry Is a Slam Dunk

      Poetry is one of our oldest art forms dating back as far as 4500 B .C. E. and yet it is also an art form that is no longer in the spotlight. Today's poetry has moved more towards what is called slam poetry a style that requires no rhyme but has a heavy sense of both mood and rhythm. This new genre of poetry has brought back competitions called slams in which poets can express their poems and be judged for prizes. Some very notable poets are known to attend theses slams such as Taylor Mali, Shane Koyczan and Saul Williams.

     Taylor Mali, one of my favorite poets, has been known to often write very comedic poems such as "The Impotence of Proofreading" or "Girls on Lending Pens" but in the same aspect he also has the great talent of writing satire with the poem "What Teachers Make". In this poem, Taylor, a teacher, is asked what he makes during a dinner conversation to which he responds with much more then just a salary. Taylor uses satire to pound the point forth that there is more to living then just the amount of money that you make. The mood of this poem works its way from funny and interesting to very serious and powerful finally ending with the line that "[he] makes a god damn difference, how about you?"

    One of the most the most prominent poets of current times is Shane Koyczan who writes poetry as an expression of himself to relate to others. A viral poem of his is "To This Day" in which he express that every name that we are called as children remains within us. The power of this poem is one that has changed the lives of hundreds of individuals. In this poem Shane tells the personal story of his hardships while going through school as well as introducing three other story's of people who struggle even after all those years of school are over. When Shane shows how these people who have been picked on are on the own by saying "you built a cast around broken heart and signed it yourself". Shane is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to slam poetry but many others still hold a level of potency when it comes to affecting the hearts of the masses.

     Neil Hilborn is a poet who has a common disorder known as OCD one that leaves him having to check and double-check everything that he does. But rather than hate it, he chooses to embrace it as a part of him. One of Neil's most well known poems is simply titled OCD in which he express how everyday he goes through the same routine with the person he loves and tells how hard it is as soon as that person is gone. Neil uses a somewhat somber mood to illustrate how difficult the change is as soon as someone leaves you. This poem leaves the thought that everyone must cherish everything they have, because one wont realize hows much they miss something until it is gone. When Neil's spouse leaves him "[he] can't imagine who else is kissing [her]" leaving the reader to imagine how much she meant to him. Poetry is something that has been there for generations and is something that will continue for generations to come.