The Differences Between Spoken Word Poetry and Poetry on the Page

Author and poet Melody Dean Dimick explains the differences between written poems and spoken word poetry. In the clip below, learn vocabulary like “poetry slam” and “spoken word poems.” Did you know that, according to Dimick, poetry slams were founded by a construction worker named Marc Smith? Performed in bars and in small venues, spoken word poetry is meant to be accessible to wide ranges of people. You don’t have to juggle the concerns of traditional publishing houses like you might if publishing...