On April 22, the Dunbar Library hosted a Spoken Poetry Night open to students, staff, faculty and members of the community as a chance for people to display and perform personal pieces.
The event was moderated by Link Schreiber, an adjunct professor in the School of Humanities and Cultural Studies and the Slam Master of Dayton Poetry Slam.
When asked about the importance of spoken poetry, Schreiber spoke about understanding a poet's intent.
“[During spoken poetry] you’re getting the exact meaning that the author was originally intending,” said Schreiber. “If you’re looking at it through the veil of spoken words, getting not only the author’s original intentions, [but] the author’s inflections, the author’s emphasis.”
Throughout the event, poets addressed a variety of topics, most of which related to experiences that they had or emotions they had experienced.
Riley Wolford, a WSU student and regular attendee of the Dayton Poetry Slam, spoke about why she decided to perform her specific poem.
“In a room full of people you don't really know, sharing such a vulnerable piece is scary. Ultimately, I chose a poem that was very personal to me,” said Wolford. “I decided to share a rawer poem as opposed to a surface-level one because I wanted to share a piece that I would be proud to share and not just read for the sake of reading.”
Christian Hunt, a current English graduate student, spoke on how writing poetry can be affected by past poetry.
“Unlike writing fiction, where [reading] is really important to orient yourself, I think poetry is kind of a give and take,” Hunt said. “You can start and read and then come back, it feels more like an ongoing conversation because there aren’t as many constraints with form or genre.”
Wolford spoke about her use of spoken poetry as a positive coping mechanism.
“As a person who uses poetry as a coping mechanism, my sadder pieces have helped me gain a positive perspective because it gives me an outlet to turn a negative event into something I can be proud of,” said Wolford. “Sometimes I even write because of a change in perspective. When going from one viewpoint to another, writing about it helps me process.”
If the idea of engaging in a welcoming poetic environment with an emphasis on spoken poetry interests you, then consider visiting the Dayton Poetry Slam on the first and third Sunday of every month at the Yellow Cab Tavern in downtown Dayton.
