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Spoken word is where writers/poets perform poems/written works for an audience. This is not to be confused with slam poetry. While both are forms of poetry, slam poetry is where poems are created for a competition.
History of spoken word
Spoken word, or performance poetry, stems from the Black community. It was a natural progression from the oral traditions of old (many communities have used oral traditions to pass on their history and have used stories as fables). Spoken word found a place in jazz clubs and has since expanded from there.
Rap and social issues
Spoken word is similar to rap as it also has rhyme and rhythm. Some feel that rapping is spoken word, just to a set beat—both do have the theme of addressing social issues. Simply put, “They overlap—in terms of audience, artists, roots, styles, and approaches—but they are also distinct cultures and communities.”
Black performers use their voice to speak out against systemic issues like racism and police brutality. However, this is a narrow range of topics in comparison to poets who can and do explore any number of topics.
What’s in a voice
A voice is important as it can portray so many different emotions. Black people know their voices and words are needlessly and constantly policed. One common experience is having to code-switch. To assimilate (and to avoid awkward encounters), Black people learned to adapt to their surroundings and change the way they speak. In other words, to avoid being policed, they self-police, which isn’t good mentally.
Performance over strict poetry
Poems have been used as a vessel for emotions. The rise of authors like Maya Angelou shows that the general public felt a connection to her words. In fact, poems are what earned Gwendolyn Brooks a Pulitzer prize. She was the first African American to be awarded the prize. Both her and Angelou’s poems dealt with the African American struggle and trauma that existed in their day-to-day lives.
That vulnerability still exists in spoken word performances. Poets are not only able to voice their poems, but they can act, dance or add anything they feel enhances their performance.
Poetry, as many understand it now, is rhyming lines studied in English class. This doesn’t carry over to spoken word. Rhymes do help a piece to flow, but they aren’t necessary.
Slam poetry
This genre was founded by Marc Kelly Smith. He felt “that poetry readings and poetry in general had lost their true passion, [and he] had an idea to bring poetry back to the people.”
Poets doing slam have the opportunity to compete and build up their experience as performers. It also allows anyone to be a judge. This is good because that means that there is no high level of expectation, no rubric to follow. The point is just to entertain and hope that randomly selected audience members enjoy your piece.
It is important to remember that slams aren’t the height of spoken word. They exist with spoken word, not above it.
Creating community
Spoken word is inviting to anyone. It creates a good outlet for people to express their emotions, whether it’s younger people looking to speak out against lived injustices or older people who want to give out words of advice/wisdom. Spoken word provides a community for people who just happen to enjoy creating poems and want to share them with others.
Spoken word in Ontario
In a Humber Et Cetera article, poet Joshua “Scribe” Watkis says that The Canadian League of Poets didn’t consider spoken word as a form of poetry. It was the actions of award-winning poet Lillian Allen that helped to change this idea. Now, the League and the Ontario Arts Council have created two awards in her name for 2025. Other poets like award-winning artist Dwayne Morgan have also helped to expand the spoken word community for up-and-coming artists.
Be sure to read about the other poets in Humber Et Cetera’s article and support artists at slams and open mic nights. If you are someone who is interested in doing spoken word, don’t be afraid to join the community.
Thean Sargeant
Thean Sargeant is a first-time writer for Black Voice. She likes to create interesting stories that others will enjoy.