So how does this poem match up with the definition of performance poetry? The basic definition wiki gives is: Performance poetry is poetry that is specifically composed for or during a performance before an audience. "Summercamp" is a performance poem because it is written to be performed. If you read the text of this poem, it would not mean nearly as much on paper as if it were performed. That this poetry is meant for performance is the magic of this type of poetry. Performance entails that the message is delivered not just through words but through gestures, through facial expression, tone of voice. It's like we're in a casual conversation with the poet and picking up his non-verbal cues of communication. I read somewhere that most of what we communicate to people is non-verbal, so it seems only natural that we like performance poetry, because it's closer to how we communicate! I'm thinking that perhaps performance poetry is a more natural art form and is more in sync with how humans communicate. Why omit this physical aspect of communication when it says so much? Like when he finds out his shoes are still tied, he lets out an exultant "whoopee!" which he follows by a curt "that's the difference between you and me." The sudden changes in tone and his actions along with the words are what make the poem funny, which is easier to do in person, and which makes the poem engaging. I'm pretty sure that I've moved away from discussing genre at this point, but I've arrived at a useful insight (I think) about why the genre of performance poetry is better than plain old written poetry: it's because performing is closer to how humans comunicate--it is a more relatable medium through which it is easier to transmit ideas.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
What Is The Genre of Performance Poetry Anyway?!
After spending four hours doing research on performance poetry and getting lost on youtube in the varieties of this type of art (I love it!), I've realized that I'm still not exactly sure what the genre of performance poetry really is. Maybe by describing the performance poetry genre by looking at this Rives poem I'll get closer to understanding what this genre is all about. I guess this will be a little bit of both a summary and a discussion of genre.
So how does this poem match up with the definition of performance poetry? The basic definition wiki gives is: Performance poetry is poetry that is specifically composed for or during a performance before an audience. "Summercamp" is a performance poem because it is written to be performed. If you read the text of this poem, it would not mean nearly as much on paper as if it were performed. That this poetry is meant for performance is the magic of this type of poetry. Performance entails that the message is delivered not just through words but through gestures, through facial expression, tone of voice. It's like we're in a casual conversation with the poet and picking up his non-verbal cues of communication. I read somewhere that most of what we communicate to people is non-verbal, so it seems only natural that we like performance poetry, because it's closer to how we communicate! I'm thinking that perhaps performance poetry is a more natural art form and is more in sync with how humans communicate. Why omit this physical aspect of communication when it says so much? Like when he finds out his shoes are still tied, he lets out an exultant "whoopee!" which he follows by a curt "that's the difference between you and me." The sudden changes in tone and his actions along with the words are what make the poem funny, which is easier to do in person, and which makes the poem engaging. I'm pretty sure that I've moved away from discussing genre at this point, but I've arrived at a useful insight (I think) about why the genre of performance poetry is better than plain old written poetry: it's because performing is closer to how humans comunicate--it is a more relatable medium through which it is easier to transmit ideas.
So how does this poem match up with the definition of performance poetry? The basic definition wiki gives is: Performance poetry is poetry that is specifically composed for or during a performance before an audience. "Summercamp" is a performance poem because it is written to be performed. If you read the text of this poem, it would not mean nearly as much on paper as if it were performed. That this poetry is meant for performance is the magic of this type of poetry. Performance entails that the message is delivered not just through words but through gestures, through facial expression, tone of voice. It's like we're in a casual conversation with the poet and picking up his non-verbal cues of communication. I read somewhere that most of what we communicate to people is non-verbal, so it seems only natural that we like performance poetry, because it's closer to how we communicate! I'm thinking that perhaps performance poetry is a more natural art form and is more in sync with how humans communicate. Why omit this physical aspect of communication when it says so much? Like when he finds out his shoes are still tied, he lets out an exultant "whoopee!" which he follows by a curt "that's the difference between you and me." The sudden changes in tone and his actions along with the words are what make the poem funny, which is easier to do in person, and which makes the poem engaging. I'm pretty sure that I've moved away from discussing genre at this point, but I've arrived at a useful insight (I think) about why the genre of performance poetry is better than plain old written poetry: it's because performing is closer to how humans comunicate--it is a more relatable medium through which it is easier to transmit ideas.
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