I plan to post about this about two weeks ago. But just today I could make the effort. In the very first of this posting, consist my favorite videos of slam poem. Slam poem is kind of trend reading poetry which speaking about something vague, taboo, or just ordinary but kinda make us muttering "oh boy, that was i really want to talk about" (at least this is my feeling towards it). It's not like our local doesn't have good poet reader, though I prefer old men like Saut Sitompul et cetera et cetera. (yeah, I don't know much).
What makes slam poem good? I research about them a bit. And I found there are pros and cons, but it's good already. On last of my list, where Sarah actually speaking in some kind of college graduation, well, she also read about two poem (the latter is The Type, you can search on your own). I know about last four years, maybe, that poem doesnt necessarily to be read where you pour emotion, burst and blast, like such. But there also like Katie Makkai's Pretty which is pretty awesome. Let me tell you if you don't know about much poem. My teacher ever told me, in a contest (theatre), a poem reader shouldn't let his own projection pour into his reading, though it possible you read your own. In some cases, a reader who read a poem very powerful, make your heart move, and surely good, but in a contest, a jury disqualify him. My teacher ask, "do you know why?". When he read, he give a moment to bend his hat, maybe his hat slightly off and the jury give his a disqualify. And that very moment, he let his own projection interfere with his reading. While you maybe questioning this, why, we wont talk about this. Let me told another matter.
A poem, commonly use metaphor to disguise its own meaning to give a beautiful structure and imagination. This is sometimes looks funny, because ... does our humanity seem that poor? Maybe not. And there is personification. Let aside another poem where words just loose with metaphor and almost like story telling, and still make good poem too. But here a thing; a poem is also like a living. They have tons of layer to disguise their own meaning. What readers read simply interpret how their limit. I've written short article about deride concept. It's almost alike. Until an author tell its meaning, its free zone of interpreting. Though I also ever read, when an art given to someone, in this case publish it, its totally public who have rights about its meaning. Not the author. There is time when I share my works, and they tell me "hey, isn't about this and that?". And that times I realize, "it (may) relate". And this is it. The power to move people isn't about what an author want. Like Dewi Lestari said to every her works as "giving birth to..", I think. "poem is also living."
I recommend to listen on my list above, it's pretty cool and could give me several insight to make own or just to widen my perspective. I would like know if you know another good slam poem. But since they (Sarah and Phil) are founder of Project VOICE, they're one of the best around.
