Poetry+Slam


 * Poetry Slam **

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. Poetry slams can feature a broad range of voices, styles, cultural traditions, and approaches to writing and performance. Some poets are closely associated with the vocal delivery style found in hip hop music and draw heavily on the tradition dub poetry, a rhythmic and politicized genre belonging to black and particularly West Indian culture.Slam poetry has found popularity as a form of self-expression among many teenagers.Though rules vary from slam to slam, the basic rules are: Each poem must be of the poet's own construction; Each poet gets three minutes (plus a ten-second grace period) to read one poem. If the poet goes over time, points will be deducted from the total score. The poet may not use props, costumes or musical instruments; Of the scores the poet received from the five judges, the high and low scores are dropped and the middle three are added together, giving the poet a total score of 0-30.