Tips for writing a slam poem

Nuan Ning: In any poetry slam or open mic, the point is not accumulating the points; the point is appreciating poetry.

IN recent times, slam poetry, or spoken word, was created with the intention of making poetry accessible to everyone.

Spoken word poetry is exactly what it sounds like – poetry performed out loud. Putting on a passionate, dynamic performance can be cathartic for expressing emotions, while poetry itself is a valuable creative outlet.

Open mics and poetry slams, where poems might be scored by audience members, are vibrant social events where you get to immerse yourself in a community of artistic individuals.

While slam poetry can be used as a vessel to tame the seemingly uncontainable emotions felt as teenagers, how do you go about writing a slam poem?

As a three-time slam champion at interschool competitions, I have some tips for you.

1. Keep it simpleWhile it may seem tempting to shroud your emotions in complex metaphor and language, nothing beats passion and simplicity. Particularly since the poems are read out loud, audiences don’t have time to ponder the meaning of each line.

2. Read your poem out loud

Read aloud, especially with expressions and pauses. This helps you feel the rhythm of the poem. Replacing words based on their sounds, syllables and rhymes can make a poem sound all the more melodic.

3. Own your poemWhen performing your poem, imagine yourself in the same mind space as you were when writing the piece. The emotions that urged you to write the piece should come flowing back; grab onto them and pour them into your performance.

4. Write whenever you canInspiration can strike at the strangest moments. While the beginnings of a poem might not seem to have a noble message, trusting the creative process is as important a lesson as any.

5. Get inspirationBe it your surroundings or the works of other poets, the world is a fountain of inspiration. For inspiration, I like to take evening walks, and my favourite slam poets are Sarah Kay and Rudy Francisco.

But remember, in any poetry slam or open mic, the point is not accumulating the points; the point is appreciating poetry.

Nuan Ning, 17, a student in Selangor, is a participant of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team.