Topic summary
Poetry slam
A poetry slam is a competitive art event in which poets perform spoken word poetry before a live audience and a panel of judges.
Some people draw distinction between the concepts of "poetry slam" as a competition event and "slam poetry" as a performance event and art form.
There are regular poetry slam competitions all around the globe.
The performances at a poetry slam are judged as much on performance as content, and poets may compete as individuals or in teams. The judging is often handled by a panel of judges, typically five, who are usually selected from the audience. Often, the highest and lowest scores for each poet in a round are dropped. The audience is encouraged to react to a poet's performance verbally or by clapping, snapping, and stomping in an attempt to influence the judges score.