Akua, Jeanann Verlee & Sarah Kay perform "Constitution"

[commonwealpanther]

What is it about spoken word that continually affects us? I have not yet been desensitized to its effect.

[sookala]

Mindblowing.

[lapetitebichee]

sooo relevant to the occupy movement

[xbellaxbrutalityx]

this is incredible

[MsSongla]

boom!

[Djemps]

This is an exciting and engaging spoken performance, but it is hardly poetry.

[comeatmebroski]

@Djemps

It's spoken word. And the last time I checked, poetry isn't required to rhyme.

[Djemps]

@comeatmebroski. You are right! Poetry can also employ assonance, alliteration, rhythm, metre, half rhymes or pararhymes. No matter the literary tools, poetry should still possess some amount of linguistic music. I didn't find much 'music' in this performance, only exciting delivery.

[ghostid]

@Djemps I think the issue you're having is the fact that you expect your personal thoughts and taste to be used to classify poetry when it's clearly a much wider literary art than you are willing to accept. I'm glad you found it exciting and engaging, but I find it hard to accept your declassifying it as poetry though. All in all, what matters most in my mind, is that a wide variety of people can enjoy this style of expression.

[Djemps]

@ghostid I cast the net pretty wide when it comes to poetry as a 'literary' art, as you yourself called it. But I'm confused about where the literary aspect is. Honestly, my only issue with the entire thing is that the video description calls it a poem. Its an exciting and engaging performance. Maybe someone can post a transcript and then you can point out its literary merits.

[ghostid]

@Djemps The video description actually says it's a spoken word poem. You use Wikipedia for videos so why not use it for this? Poetry, Spoken Word, and Poetics may be keywords of choice in your searches :-)

[Djemps]

@ghostid I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say I use Wikipedia for videos. Can you clarify?

[GaryColinGATEX2418]

man i love rebellion. especially when it makes total sense!

[jabberwolf]

LOL So now Democrats and OBAMA take away more freedoms than Republicans or Bush- write something about that. Poets= idiological and hypocritical.

[MsDeannaBanana1]

:) wow.

[jetlaginwis]

BAM! You better believe it!

[MsAdvicer]

I GOT SO MANY CHILLS! FUCK YA MAN!

[thebeautywithin678]

Very well done!

[shuuni19]

This was really great!

[KayMocha]

This is great!

[koolkidasaurusrex]

Definitely one of my favorite group poems!

[shagorocka87]

0:32-0:35, Sarah Kay sounds like Miley Cyrus a little, LOL

[Brandynoel16]

this was amazing, it gave me goosebumps, chills, made me rethink everything about the country, which i guess is what great poetry is all about!

[kindigga]

@Brandynoel16 cool story bro

[smiflatrice]

I like this this was clever!

[smiflatrice]

sarah is tall and kinda boe legged LOL!

[TeamLondon1]

I think shes just tall and the mic was short but maybe..lol

[martele85]

Very nice piece, it amazes me to no end how ignorant some people can be. Freedom doesn't exist in this country, the closest thing you get to freedom is wealth, then you can sorta by your freedom.

[BeautyOnABudget]

LOVE IT! And I love Sarah Kay. And the others are talented as well. Thanks for sharing!

[daftchook]

haha i think you'll find they're not bitching. they just actually care

[Brandynoel16]

exactely.

[Celeste2119]

Beautiful

[huniibun]

love this!

[quitejaded]

lmao, maybe that's why they got a 9 instead of a 10.

[13morphine]

oh my god i love this thanks for uploading

[blue2draconian]

Bloody brilliant!

Man, I love this!

Jeanann Verlee and Jamie Kilstien are sort of really my heroes.