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Where Rhyme Meets Reason The top South Asian spoken word poets to listen to PALOMA JHINGAN
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outh Asia is a region of diversity with a peculiar cultural unity. Rich in history, languages, literature and philosophy, the region has explored humanity through religion, art, monuments, food, music, dance, and poetry. Increasingly, poetry today is becoming a striking method of self-expression. Spoken word poetry especially reaches out to a wide audience base and builds a powerful platform for artists to speak on various social issues through their own identities and experiences. WHAT IS SPOKEN WORD POETRY? It is a broad term that defines poetry intended for performance. It can contain elements of rap, hip-hop, storytelling, theater, along with jazz, rock, blues, and
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folk music. The main characteristics that encompass spoken word poetry is that it includes rhyme, repetition, improvisation, and word play. It can draw influence from music, dance, or other popular themes to connect with the audiences. Spoken word poetry doesn’t always have to rhyme, but certain parts can be rhymed to emphasize an image or give it a lyrical quality. WHEN DID PEOPLE START USING IT? A majority of the American spoken-word poetry traces its origin to the poetry of the Harlem Renaissance, blues, and the beat generation of the 60s. It relied heavily on the African-American culture, which is rich in literary and musical heritage. The form of poetry then made its way to other parts of the world to places in South Asia.
