How to Become a Slam-Champion:
Thea Murray
A slam-champion is the term given to the winner of the National Slam Poetry competition as well as other Slam Poetry competitions such as the SLAMbassadors which is the national youth slam poetry competition for 12-18 year olds in the United Kingdom.
So what is slam poetry? It’s is a type of competition where people read their poems without props, costumes, or music. After performing, they receive scores (0-10) from 5 randomly selected judges. The judges can be anyone; they aren’t necessarily poets themselves. Scores are awarded based on how much each judge likes a poem.
Slam Poems are most commonly used to address serious matters in an effective, hard hitting manner. Examples of topics covered include the US presidential election, feminism, mental illness and relationships.
Here’s a great example: ‘Song of the Pretty Bird’ By Shay Alexi Stewart
“ I've lived 20 pretty bird years
Of this great big pretty bird life
And I think I pretty pretty pretty bird bird pretty much know what I’m talking about
People like to poke fun at my pretty bird pretty preening
At my pretty pretty bird pretty feathers
But look at my long clean coat
At my pretty pretty bird pretty pink legs
When pigeon men track me cross sky highway
they are happy to trace hungry orange eyes
between my pretty pretty bird bird feathers
To busy fantasizing pretty bird
Wet dreams swollen chest fluff fest
To pretty poke bird fun
To pretty poke fun bird
To pretty bird bird pretty bird bird pretty pretty pretty
Too busy fantasizing
to poke fun at permanently preening pretty bird
My vanity is insanity unless it helps get you off
What a treat hosting eyes between my thighs
They will spend equal time begging to share bed with me
Condemning mediocrity
How does one achieve complexity when all she was ever taught to be was basic
Pigeon man wants pretty bird to pretty bird
Until pretty bird fulfils ideas of prettiness
Then she’s too pretty pretty bird bird paralyzing and preened
Look at my long clean coat
At my pretty pretty bid pretty pink legs
Track me cross sky highway
Take a picture I beg you
Take a picture pretty bird pretty bird
My left side is my best side
I have a best side
I have a better half
I am a half
Pretty cus they want a pretty bird bird
I grew up on a diet of bread crumbs catalogue clippings and sidewalk cracks
How do you expect anything else
Pretty sure I know what I’m talking about
Pretty sure
pretty sure
Maybe not
Sorry sorry sorry sorry
Can I ask a question
Sorry sorry
May I may I
Pretty bird used to sing
Baby bird used to sing
Baby bird was pretty bird before pretty bird learned to pretty
And baby bird could compose whole symphonies
Acute intricacies melodies capturing voices poetry
But the reviews came in
and they preferred apology
So she shrank
learned to make herself small enough
to nearly fit back in her eggshell
to tip toe atop eggshells
expanded flight just long enough
for pigeon men to track her cross sky highway
but still she sang too loud
so they caged her up
for her pretty pretty bird bird long clean coat
for her pretty pretty bird pretty pink legs
and they said sing pretty lady sing
but I forgot how
so I said
pretty pretty bird bird look at my long clean coat
at my pretty pretty bird pretty pink legs
but they were bored of me. “
This poem is about the effects of eating disorders and body dysmorphia. Therefore it brilliantly demonstrates the sorts of topics approached in this form of poetry.
The British teens slam poetry competition runs all year and is judged at the end of the year; winners can receive two day workshops with established, famous, spoken word artists. I encourage you to watch some of this year’s entries via the SLAMbassadors website. Perhaps have a go at writing one yourself and enter it next year, or just have fun with your friends and family as you write it. Slam poems can be as serious or as silly as you wish.
If this has grabbed your interest, and I sure hope it has, search SLAMbassadors on Google.
So what is slam poetry? It’s is a type of competition where people read their poems without props, costumes, or music. After performing, they receive scores (0-10) from 5 randomly selected judges. The judges can be anyone; they aren’t necessarily poets themselves. Scores are awarded based on how much each judge likes a poem.
Slam Poems are most commonly used to address serious matters in an effective, hard hitting manner. Examples of topics covered include the US presidential election, feminism, mental illness and relationships.
Here’s a great example: ‘Song of the Pretty Bird’ By Shay Alexi Stewart
“ I've lived 20 pretty bird years
Of this great big pretty bird life
And I think I pretty pretty pretty bird bird pretty much know what I’m talking about
People like to poke fun at my pretty bird pretty preening
At my pretty pretty bird pretty feathers
But look at my long clean coat
At my pretty pretty bird pretty pink legs
When pigeon men track me cross sky highway
they are happy to trace hungry orange eyes
between my pretty pretty bird bird feathers
To busy fantasizing pretty bird
Wet dreams swollen chest fluff fest
To pretty poke bird fun
To pretty poke fun bird
To pretty bird bird pretty bird bird pretty pretty pretty
Too busy fantasizing
to poke fun at permanently preening pretty bird
My vanity is insanity unless it helps get you off
What a treat hosting eyes between my thighs
They will spend equal time begging to share bed with me
Condemning mediocrity
How does one achieve complexity when all she was ever taught to be was basic
Pigeon man wants pretty bird to pretty bird
Until pretty bird fulfils ideas of prettiness
Then she’s too pretty pretty bird bird paralyzing and preened
Look at my long clean coat
At my pretty pretty bid pretty pink legs
Track me cross sky highway
Take a picture I beg you
Take a picture pretty bird pretty bird
My left side is my best side
I have a best side
I have a better half
I am a half
Pretty cus they want a pretty bird bird
I grew up on a diet of bread crumbs catalogue clippings and sidewalk cracks
How do you expect anything else
Pretty sure I know what I’m talking about
Pretty sure
pretty sure
Maybe not
Sorry sorry sorry sorry
Can I ask a question
Sorry sorry
May I may I
Pretty bird used to sing
Baby bird used to sing
Baby bird was pretty bird before pretty bird learned to pretty
And baby bird could compose whole symphonies
Acute intricacies melodies capturing voices poetry
But the reviews came in
and they preferred apology
So she shrank
learned to make herself small enough
to nearly fit back in her eggshell
to tip toe atop eggshells
expanded flight just long enough
for pigeon men to track her cross sky highway
but still she sang too loud
so they caged her up
for her pretty pretty bird bird long clean coat
for her pretty pretty bird pretty pink legs
and they said sing pretty lady sing
but I forgot how
so I said
pretty pretty bird bird look at my long clean coat
at my pretty pretty bird pretty pink legs
but they were bored of me. “
This poem is about the effects of eating disorders and body dysmorphia. Therefore it brilliantly demonstrates the sorts of topics approached in this form of poetry.
The British teens slam poetry competition runs all year and is judged at the end of the year; winners can receive two day workshops with established, famous, spoken word artists. I encourage you to watch some of this year’s entries via the SLAMbassadors website. Perhaps have a go at writing one yourself and enter it next year, or just have fun with your friends and family as you write it. Slam poems can be as serious or as silly as you wish.
If this has grabbed your interest, and I sure hope it has, search SLAMbassadors on Google.