Glossary: techniques used in spoken-word poetry



Glossary: techniques used in spoken-word poetry* = language or content warning TechniqueDefinitionExamplePerformance techniquesPaceHow fast or slowly the poet speaksThe fast pace illustrates Luka Lesson’s virtuosity as a wordsmith - Anonymous.Slow pace emphasises the seriousness of subject matter –* Anisa Nandaula ToneHow the poet’s voice conveys their attitude to their subject Taylor Mali’s impassioned tone conveys his passion for teaching - What Teachers MakeGestureMovements of head, hands or body to express meaning“I make them understand that if you’ve got this, [pointing to head]then you follow this, [pointing to heart]” Taylor Mali What Teachers MakePause / silenceLeaving a short length of time between words or sentencesLuka Lesson pauses after “my friend went into chemotherapy this week” to let it sink in - AntidotePitch / registerUsing high, natural, or low ranges of the speaking voiceThe three boys use their voices in unnatural low registers to parody “manly men” - Finalists 2015: ViewBank CollegeVolumeHow loud or softly the poet speaksKate Tempest’s high volume enhanced by close microphone technique conveys passion – Cannibal KidsDynamicsChanging volume within the pieceAbe Nouk goes from loud “I know what hatred looks like” to soft “but today that defeats the purpose” – What Love Looks LikeEmphasisStress given to a word or words indicating importanceDenise Frohm emphasises to create irony in “I mean, straight women” – *Dear Straight PeopleAccentDistinctive pronunciation, usually indicating the speaker’s country of origin, area, or social classAbe Nouk’s Sudanese accent reveals his story as a refugee - What Love Looks LikeKate Tempest’s south London accent aligns her with the ‘oppressed’ she describes – Cannibal KidsImitationPerformance intending to copy or simulate another voice or personTaylor Mali imitates the laughter of a dinner guest who criticises teachers, showing how it annoys him – What Teachers MakeMulti-vocalTwo or more voices or performers in the pieceOutLoud Australia presents teams of 3 or 4 students in each performanceRace in Australia performed by two poetsUnisonTwo or more voices say the same words at the same timeThe two poets state “I belong” in unison - Race in AustraliaVocal sound effectsUsing the voice to make non-human soundsJesse John Brand makes sound of tape recorder fast-forwarding to indicate time flying past - *Dear Mrs MillerBeatboxingImitating sounds of a drum machine with the voice; vocal percussionSaul Williams uses bursts of beatboxing - Ohm Sophia Thakur uses beatboxing to represent the blows of an abuser - *BeatboxSingingThe poet sings a word or phraseThe New Crusades opens with singing – Luka LessonMultimodalUsing more than one performance mode, such as film, lighting, music Animations of words written on walls and skin is superimposed on the poet – Luka Lesson May Your Pen Grace the Page ImprovisationAny part of the poem created spontaneously or departing from the prepared performanceKate Tempest jokes “Not you, different strangers!” in a performance of *13 CommandmentsAudience participationListeners are invited to be involved in the performance, perhaps by clapping a beat or repeating key lines. Many poetry slams are participatory in nature, with audiences encouraged to show appreciation during the performance.The audience responds to Luka Lesson’s performance by calling out, clapping and cheering frequently in May Your Pen Grace the Page – filmed at the Nuyorican Poets Café, home of slam poetry. Call and responseThe audience is asked to call back aresponse to a key word or words Listeners repeat the line “out with the old” – Sarah Temporal End of the RoadCoverPerforming a piece written by someone elseJoelle Taylor performs Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred OwenPoetic techniquesWordplayPlayful or clever use of words, exploring multiple meanings“politics being a latin word. ‘Poli’ meaning many, ‘tics’ meaning blood sucking butt lumps” - Shane Koyczan This is my voiceReconstructionWords or phrases are broken down into parts and recombined to form new meanings“You look so pretty with straight hairYou look so pretty when you’re straight” - Arielle Cottingham TramlinesRedefinitionWords are redefined to give them new meanings, sometimes by spelling them out, reconstruction, or association.“May the lead in your lead-pencil lead you astray / We spell it L-E-A-D ‘cause we’ve made leaders this way” - Luka Lesson May Your Pen Grace the PageIconic substitutionSuggests that a thing is like another thing, through similar sounding words“I’m basically feeling that art isn’t hard / What's hard is your heart” - Luka Lesson May Your Pen Grace the PageIncantationUse of words for magical or prayer-like effect; showing belief that language effects reality“May you mean every word that you say” - Luka Lesson May Your Pen Grace the PageInvocationCalling upon a person, spirit or deity by name to lend power, i.e. ‘in the name of…’ “Thus, in the name of: Robeson, God's Son, Hurston…and the countless unnamed” -Saul Williams Coded Language FlowUse of emphasis and pace to create implied rhythms. In hip-hop: the way rhymes are constructed over a beat.“Potentially my pencil be / the deftest thing you’ve ever seen” - Luka Lesson May Your Pen Grace the PageRhymeRepetition of sounds in two or more wordsEyes / disguise / lives / alibis / outside Complete rhymeConsonant and vowel sounds match identicallyEyes / liesSlant rhymeSimilar but not identical sounds. Either the vowels are different while the consonants are identical, or vice versa.Eyes / chimesLives / leavesMulti-syllable rhymeRhyming each syllable in words two or more syllables long Tragedy / cavity / gravity Multi-word rhymeRhyming groups of two or more words with another word or word-groupReeboks / see cops / be shot – Eminem Monotony / got to me – Patti SmithInternal rhymeRhyme occurring within a line“His palms are sweaty, knees week, arms are heavy” – Eminem *Lose YourselfEnd rhymeRhyme occurring at end of two adjacent lines “I'm fortunate you believe in a dream / This orphanage we call a ghetto is quite a routine” –Kendrick Lamar *Sing About MeDaisy-chainingRhymes link across multiple lines. A new rhyme scheme starts before the first one ends, creating smooth flow.“Everybody's a victim in my eyes / When I ride it's a murderous rhythm / And outside became pitch black / A demon glued to my back whispering, Get ‘em.” – Kendrick Lamar *Sing About MeHolorimeAn entire sentence or phrase rhymed perfectly with the next. The ‘holy grail’ of rap rhyming.“The worst-hated God who perpetrated odd favours / demonstrated in the perforated Rod Lavers” –MF Doom *Meat Grinder Motif / rhythmic motifA recurring rhythmic pattern or idea“Potentially” sets up repeating 4-syllable motif / - Luka Lesson May Your Pen Grace the PageDoggerelComic verse composed in irregular rhythmTug Dumbly *The Dog with the Golden ArseAnaphoraRepetition of a word or words at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines“I make them question.I make them criticize.I make them apologize and mean it.”Taylor Mali What Teachers MakeListing / accumulationCreating a list or piling up ideas in a way that builds up or emphasizes the main point. List poems are very common in spoken-word poetry.Accumulation of dedications “this is for…” - Shane Koyczan This is my voiceA numbered list of personal advice – Kate Tempest 13 Commandments Epitheta word or phrase used to express a certain characteristic of a person or thing. (Derived from ancient storytelling traditions such as Homeric epics) “rosy-fingered dawn”, “the wine-dark sea”, “loud-thundering Zeus”, “Athena, hope of soldiers” - HomerZeugmaTo yoke together different meanings“Discarded clothes and ambitions” – Sarah Temporal, Sleeping BeautyOnomatopoeiaWords that mimics the sound they describe“And let the waves reach the shore with a shhhhhhh…” Lemn Sissay Let There Be PeaceFirst person The poet speaks from their own point of view, using ‘I’ or ‘we’“I too have lived through this long night of the mind” – Sarah Temporal Sleeping BeautySecond person The poet uses ‘you’ referring to an imagined listener or audience“may you mean every word that you say” May your pen grace the page Luka LessonThird personReferring to someone other than speaker or listener using ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘they’“She heard life going on outside” – Sarah Temporal Sleeping BeautyDirect addressThe poet speaks directly to the audience using ‘you’.“This is yours. Make my words worth something.” –Anis Mojgani Shake the Dust HumourIntended to make the audience laughPhil Wilcox *This Microphone Only Tells the TruthTug Dumbly *The Dog with the Golden ArseCliché A phrase that is so overused it has become meaningless or triteSports clichés such as “ball-park figure” “keep your eye on the ball” – Tug Dumbly Sport Talk ................
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