Since its ancient roots, poetry has existed, built communities, and even influenced civilizations. Over centuries, it has been studied, split apart, analyzed, and then pieced back together again. But poetry’s core message has always stayed the same—to share a story, a feeling, or an experience. Slam poetry or spoken word poetry takes this message and broadens it to a rhythmic and emotional performance, meant to “bring poetry back to the people“.

I first discovered slam poetry in around 2018 when I felt isolated from my peers, as any 8th grader does. YouTube, or rather the cookies and algorithms that stalk everything I do, started recommending spoken word poetry that focused on themes of feminism, otherness, and identity. I would scroll through channels like Button Poetry or Slam Find, clicking on any title that seemed relatable.

Since first discovering it, various poets and topics have driven me to educate myself on unfamiliar concepts and have helped me understand parts of myself. Certain poems have helped me realize that my feelings of disconnect and uncertainty with my Asian heritage is something that many Asian Americans also feel. Other poems have helped me discover various queer activists and movements, which lead to my love of LGBTQ+ history. Some poets even discussed pop-culture theories and fictional characters that I related to and loved. In a time where it felt none of my peers shared my interests, slam poetry was there to have a conversation, there to help me feel seen.

Perhaps the best thing about spoken word poetry is its easy accessibility and seemingly simple writing. Before poetry was written, it was originally recited or sung to groups of people, making it a very inclusive event. But the switch from listening to poems to reading them excluded uneducated and lower classes while simultaneously reserving them for upper classes. This created the common opinion that poetry is inherently overly complicated and pompous. Some of the most well-known slam poets deliberately combat this opinion by writing straightforward and simple poems instead of including elusive or connotative lyrics. By going back to the ancient art of performing poetry out loud, spoken word crushes the idea that theatre and art are for the elite, and establishes that poetry is for all to enjoy.

The medium exists to share experiences with others in the hope that others can nod, or snap, or cheer in understanding and unity. It truly surpasses its goal to “bring poetry back to the people” because it combines simple elements like dance and speech to create an extremely effective form of communication. I will never get tired of exploring new ideas and new poets through slam poetry, and I am perpetually thankful for the parts of me it has understood and validated.