"Spoken word is a performance art that is word based. It is an oral art that focuses on the aesthetics of word play and intonation and voice." -Wikipedia
I got introduced to spoken word poetry by Sara Kay when I came across a video of hers on Ted-talk's channel a couple of years ago, and I never looked back.
I fell in love with spoken word poetry for a myriad of reasons. i was often left in awe as I watched each performance and saw the poets' ability to carry the feelings of others while portraying their own. The way they played with words felt like they were painting on a blank canvas and right before your eyes, a piece of art was created, ever so effortlessly. Spoken word is accessible, relatable, fun at times, but grim more often than not. It calls for humaneness, compassion, and empathy.
Here you'll find 5 videos of performances that are dear to my heart. I hope you enjoy them.
1) This poem will resonate with anyone whosever dealt with the monstrosity that is depression. In a conversation that can only be described as heart-breaking, Sabrina Benaim put how it feels like to be depressed into words, and it couldn't have been explained any better.
2) In a thin-crazed society, obsession over weight comes second nature to women, and that's exactly what Lily Myers talks about in her poem. What I found most appealing about it though was her underlying message of society's systematic oppression of females.
3) A sweet, light-hearted poem on what it's like to be introverted and in love.
4) Gut-wrenching & raw, the brilliant Kai Davis takes you on a journey to what it feels like to be discriminated against based on your sexuality.
5) Bi-culturalism & its pains expressed ever so eloquently by Ariana Brown in a heartfelt performance full of longing, pride, and sorrow.
