If you’re wondering why my blog post is starting off with 3 random youtube videos, just give me a second to explain.
For around a year now, I’ve been a pretty big fan of spoken word/slam poetry, which is basically poetry written with the intent to be performed in front of an audience, rather than read on paper. And generally, the intent of spoken word poetry goes beyond just the expression of an emotion of the description of an object or event – spoken word poets write with the intent to evoke thought, enact change, or raise awareness.
Check out one or two of the links I posted above (especially the first – it’s a personal favorite) to get a feel for the genre, especially if you’ve never come in contact with spoken word poetry before. The first deals with rape culture, the second with abortion, and the last with gender identity.
Spoken word poetry is one of many intersections between art and activism – and as it’s extremely personal, passionate, and interactive, I’d say it’s a very effective way to get an issue across to an audience.
In the first poem, “Blue Blanket” by Andrea Gibson, the realities of rape culture are conveyed in a way that’s much more effective than most logical approaches could deliver. Poetry appeals primarily to pathos – therefore, for emotional issues like rape, or abortion, or gender identity, poetry serves as a highly effective platform to convey complex issues to a broad audience and help to stir up a movement.
For me, when I heard “Blue Blanket” for the first time, I was struck especially by the last line “She’s not asking what you’re gonna tell your daughter/ She’s asking what you’re gonna teach your son” because for the first time I realized how skewed rape education is; We focus so much on telling girls not to walk alone at night, to always be careful, to avoid riding elevators alone, etc. and spend very little time focusing on teaching boys to respect women, and making sure they understand the gravity of sexual assault.
Just food for thought and something to look into – poetry isn’t everyone’s thing, I know, but I’ve found that it’s hard to watch a substantial amount of slam poetry and not, at the very least, be moved to rethink your perspective.