Words have power.
You’ve read that, seen that, and experienced that. Writings have touched hearts, caused havoc, instigated revolutions and brought down regimes.
Imagine this word being spoken instead of only being written. The same power, magnified. The same effect, multiplied. That’s spoken word poetry for you.
Spoken word poetry is a form of art that allows self-expression by performing poetry, primarily focused on story-telling. It may involve singing, dancing, or even rapping. Whatever aesthetic style is employed, the main purpose is to channel written word through physical expressions. The topic of the poem can be anything from childhood reminiscence to racial injustice. It can be personal, general, or both. This form of poetry provides a broader platform to express, engage and story-tell.
In Pakistan, despite numerous people working towards it, the phenomena remains largely unknown. At a TurrLahore session just last week with Spoken Word Poets Zainab and Zohaib, about five out of thirty people knew what this form of poetry was. To tackle this problem, these two founders of the World Ink Project have initiated Pakistan’s first Poetry Slam, which is a competition of Spoken Word poetry. It involves a four-week workshop to teach writing as expression and empowerment to young students.
Spoken Word is an expression, a way to articulate your feelings. Whether it be frustration, angst, love or sympathy, Spoken Word allows you to channel all emotions in a meaningful manner. The Pakistan Poetry Slam aims to use it to promote tolerance by teaching to deal with violence with this non-violent measure. Spoken Word has immense impact; it leaves you in goosebumps when Shane Koyczan speaks out against bullying in To This Day; it helps you understand being a parent slightly better when Sarah Kay’s up on stage performing If I Should Have A Daughter; it makes you remember a vanished home with Zainab in Looking for Ladybugs; and it allows you to appreciate writing as much as Zohaib does when he’s performing I Write.
If you’ve been unfamiliar with this form of art, here are some links to get you started:
To This Day, Shane Koyczan:
http://www.tothisdayproject.com/the_poem.html
If I Should Have A Daughter, Sarah Kay:
https://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_kay_if_i_should_have_a_daughter
Say No, Urbana Poetry Slam:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f98Pdk5xs-Q
Button Poetry:
https://www.facebook.com/ButtonPoetry
Pakistan Poetry Slam:
www.PakistanPoetrySlam.com
https://www.facebook.com/pakistanpoetryslam
In times like these – when intolerance, extremism and conspiracy prevails – forms of art like Spoken Word are a way for us to speak out and create a difference, especially in countries like Pakistan, where despite the incessant turmoil, enormous potential exists.
