• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
College Magazine logo

College Magazine

College Life, Dating, Career & Campus Advice

  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
    • Find Your College
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
Home » Latest Posts » Spoken Word: Not Just Prissy Poetry
Life

Spoken Word: Not Just Prissy Poetry

Facebook Tweet
Jay Schwartz   April 16, 2012

Hipster culture has revived many wonderful artifacts of hippie-dom like funny mustaches and folk music. Poetry is no exception.

As you probably don’t know, April is National Poetry Month, which means poets all over the U.S. are sitting in dark rooms with a bottle of wine and bottled up emotions doing “30-for-30s” (Writing one poem a day for the 30 days of April). Austin Bay, a senior at Boston University, is way too busy to be writing poetry all day, but is one of the well-known members of Speak for Yourself, a student-run spoken word poetry club at BU.

Spoken word is the art of writing poetry for the ear. Poets are expected to memorize their works and recite them on stages for the pleasure of a diligent crowd. All this usually takes place in a dimly lit room, give or take the occasional bongos. Well… almost. Spoken poetry is a growing art that’s becoming so popular, bars and cafés are hiring poets, like Austin, to perform as a “feature.”

As with all artists, the question we’re dying to ask is where do they get their inspiration.

Austin's began back in his middle school days. “I started writing because I was a moody preteen with a lot of emotions,” says Austin. He looks to poetry as his outlet because it feels organic and natural to his self-expression. Sounds like a typical college Friday night minus half the guilt.

One of the coolest parts of spoken word is the way it’s delivered. Watch Austin perform in a local bar, and you'll feel the energy of the whole room focusing on his story is nothing short of powerful.


trending

494

10 Student Organizations Breaking the Mold at Berkeley

201

Top 10 Spots Around Emerson College to Get Inspired

169

Top 10 Ways to Spot a UT Austin Alum


Austin told me, “being a featured poet is a phenomenal experience that allows you to perform more than one piece,” which really gives the audience insight into your persona and beliefs. It’s an extremely intimate experience.

A political science major, Bay is in the process of applying to grad school. “I do not plan on being a professional poet,” he said. “After college I plan to have a lifestyle that allows me the time to write, and spend time working on my performances.” 

Until then, Austin continues to get bookings at clubs all around New England. But being a poet doesn’t mean there’s no pressure involved. “One time I thought I forgot my lines, and I realized I was going to cry on stage, so I had to choke back my tears before I could move on.” This is just one of the everyday hazards of a poet, where missing one word in a dead-silent room, full of listeners hanging on each word, can mean the difference between snap and scoff.

Yes, poets actually do snap.

If National Poetry Month teaches you one thing, learn that poems aren’t just for books. This reporter highly suggests you let spoken word into your life and check out local bars that feature poets. You can even find spoken word on Spotify. Check out poets Andrea Gibson and Buddy Wakefield for spoken word beginners. The following is a piece Austin wrote about his grandmother and, not gonna lie, I teared up a bit:

 

About Jay Schwartz

Sophomore > Journalism > Boston University

The Art of the Hot Girl Walk

I Used to Outrun My Feet

What I Wish I Had Known About Mental Health So I Wouldn’t Have to Call Myself a College Dropout

Ant-Man Opens the Doors for Marvel’s New Phase

10 Boba Tea Spots for Houston College Students

10 Ways to Have Fun with Your Friends Indoors

Do You Actually Care, Or Do You Want to Look Like You Do?

unsplash.com

Top Ten Inspirational Quotes from Your Favorite Sports TV Shows

I lived with my three best friends. Here’s how it went.

Previous Post:Jackie Robinson, The Original MLB Game-Changer
Next Post:Is it true about grapefruit?

colleges

  • College Guides
  • College Rankings
  • Campus life
  • Academics
  • Dating
  • Freshmen Year
  • Health
  • Party

majors

  • All College Majors
  • Most Popular Majors
  • Choosing a Major

intern

  • Internships Directory
  • How to Write a Resume
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • How to Interview
  • How to Get an Internship
  • How to Network

money

  • How to Make Money
  • How to Save Money
  • How to Get a Job
  • Credit Cards 101
  • College Loans

travel

  • Study Abroad
  • College Spring Break
  • How to Travel Cheap
  • Things to Do

shop

  • College Packing List
  • Gift Guides
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

College Magazine logo

Copyright © 2023 Powered by BizBudding