To This Day & Slam Poetry Podcast

In this podcast, David and I give some reactions, thoughts, and opinions on Shane Koyczan's slam poem "To This Day". Below is the link to the YouTube video

To This Day Video

Slam Poetry is a style of delivery, as well as a genre of poetry. Slam poetry relates to either the originality of the work being presented by the author, and to the style in which they're delivering it. The authors tone and message in the poem are most important. Usually slam poetry is used to convey a message, such as Shane Koyczan's message in "To This Day" which is anti-bullying. Slam poetry is pretty recent to the scene, as it became more popular amongst teens because it it a fast paced, emotion fueled way to convey the deepest parts of ones soul. Slam poetry is now a competitive sport, where contestants are judged based on the poem, it's originality, as well as it's structure, tone, and feel. “A poetry slam is a competition at which poets read or recite original work. These performances are then judged on a numeric scale by previously selected members of the audience."

Even though it is a competitive scene, Slam poets are known for the compassion and their humility, as well as their tenacity, and ability to touch on hard subjects without seeming condescending or rude. Poets, such as Andrea Gibson, use personal stories to fuel their poetry, adding a human element to the story. All slam poetry must be original, which puts a lot of stain on the poets because they want to avoid sounding cliche or monotonous. But because Andrea and Shane both underwent so much opposition and hatred as children, their poetry, in my opinion, is raw and breathtaking; it forces one to self examine their stance, either as a victim or the antagonizer. Both Andrea and Shane use their work to inspire those around them, to share a message that may not be pleasant, but certainly is necessary.