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Brief History of Slam: Slam poetry made its way into sight in 1986 in a Chicago jazz club. Slam poetry picked up in the 1990's, this generation of poets often highlighted racial, economic, and gender injustices along with current events. Slam itself is a poetry competition that poets perform their work in teams or alone in front of an audience. Poets such as Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz, Taylor Mali, and Marc Smith(the performer at the Chicago Jazz club) have spread slam poetry all over the world convincing people to defy the traditional order of the world
Literary Terms Found In Poem:
Taylor Mali uses devices such as personification and euphemism to not only add intensity to the poem itself but be an aid to the performance. Using Personification Taylor Mali creates and evokes emotion referring to such inanimate terms, "injustices that make you mad as hell,honesty behooves me to tell you your rage doesn't move me" these words help to define the art of slam poetry. Another literary device that Mali uses is euphemism. Adding euphemism to this poem helps to increases the meaning and focus on Mali's belief that through all problems injustice or spilled milk there is something better to look forward to. Personification and euphemism, adds depth to Mali's effort to stand up and stand out. |
Poem Analysis:
The purpose of the slam movement was to highlight racial, economic, & gender injustices, and in Taylor Mali's poem " Silver Lined Heart" he focuses on the positives that we have in the midst of mere problems. Mali believes that people whine and complain over small things so much that they forget that there actually are things worth living for. Mali's ability to capture the true essence of the slam movement was uplifting. Mali uses literary devices such as personification and euphemism to better get the message of his poem across. This poem is truly a work of slam. |