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Poetry Slam

Poet onstage performing

The poetry slam differs from other poetry readings in several distinct ways. For example, poetry slams are by nature competitive, while normal poetry readings exist simply to allow the audience to take in the art form. This difference has lead to significant criticism from the poetry community at large, citing the slam’s more raucous atmosphere that some critics have bemoaned for stressing entertainment over art or literary content. However, this difference provides the distinction that most slammers applaud: slam poetry can be political, cultural, free verse, structured, musical, monotone, lyrical, ironic, and so on, thereby allowing the poet free reign to create a form transcendent of label. Indeed, many slam poets relate to the genre because a poem’s worth gets judged based on the audience’s reaction to it, rather than to a strict set of rules set out by hundreds of years of poetic standards.

Rules Of The Slam

In the case of a Poetry slam their are no tools. Only ones mind and emotion. But they do have some rules and different forms of the slam listed below are some of the rules and formats although all slams dont follow the same rules and formats

Open Slam

  • In an "Open Slam," the most common slam type, competition is open to all who wish to compete. If there are more slammers than available time slots, competitors will often be chosen at random from the sign-up list.

Invite Slam

  • In an "Invitational Slam," by contrast, only those invited to do so may compete. A single round at a slam consists of performances by all eligible poets. Most slams last multiple rounds, and many involve the elimination of lower-scoring poets in successive rounds. A standard elimination rubric might run 8-4-2, with eight poets in the first round, four in the second, and two in the last. Some slams do not eliminate poets at all.

Rules

  • Props, costumes, and music are generally forbidden in slams. Additionally, most slams enforce a time limit of three minutes (and a grace period of ten seconds), after which a poet's score may be docked according to how long the poem exceeded the limit.