Spoken And Slammed: 8 Poetry Performances That Will Change You | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Spoken And Slammed: 8 Poetry Performances That Will Change You

Chills, tears, sighs, and cheers.

163
Spoken And Slammed: 8 Poetry Performances That Will Change You
Originals

Poetry can be so much more than cutesy quotes to title a picture with. Poetry can breathe goosebumps across your arms and widen your eyes at the life around you. And when poetry is performed with the pain, joy, loss, sight, fear, and hopes of human existence, well -- sometimes magical things happen. Here is a list of eight poems from the platform company Button Poetry and more:

1. "OCD" by Neil Hilborn.

Chances are, you have probably seen this already. Neil Hilborn is infamous with this performance of his "OCD" poem that speaks volumes about relationships and mental illness. It brings awareness to the changes of love between people, and how even when everything seems perfect, they aren't. This one hits hard.

2. "The Type" by Sarah Kay.


I'm a bit biased when it comes to Sarah Kay. This 2013 performance is my go-to video I prefer to watch. It's a classic for me; I have listened to her words so many times over. This is a poem you print out and plaster on the mirrors of every girls' bathroom. It's the video you send to your best friend well after midnight, when she's heartbroken and hopeless.

3. "Pretty" by Katie Makkai.

Throw it back to 2007 now. "Pretty" is a perfect combination of realization and anger when it comes to societal standards to be, well, pretty. Makkai is a powerful woman with even stronger words that every woman and girl should sit down and listen to. Her shouts will echo in your head whenever you look in the mirror.

4. "Pass On" by Michael Lee.

Button Poetry refers their audience to this performance by Michael Lee, and if you watch it, you'd understand why. "Pass On" was the poem that kept me on my feet when a dear friend passed away. Lee's voice, the emotion with the words, the message in his poem is enough to bring tears of comfort to your eyes.

5. "21" by Patrick Roche.

Another viral one, but also deep with hurt and truth. Patrick Roche sheds the painful light on alcoholism in a family, and how a homosexual child faces the fear and guilt with their parents' reaction.

6. "People You May Know" by Kevin Kantor.

Sexual assault is a sensitive and difficult topic. But when it concerns men, it's usually even harder to talk about. Kantor brings his story center stage, heart full of flames. This is one you may need to sit down for.

7. "Scars/To The New Boyfriend" by Rudy Francisco.

The title says it all. When breakups are tough, a million responses go through our heads, and Francisco does best with speaking them out. His voice and stage presence fills the room, and almost everyone can relate to his outspoken thoughts.

8. "Explaining My Depression To My Mother" by Sabrina Benaim.

Benaim gives me chills every time with this video. Every. Time.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

459
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

421
black marker on notebook

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

1103
group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

The Great Christmas Movie Debate

"A Christmas Story" is the star on top of the tree.

2362
The Great Christmas Movie Debate
Mental Floss

One staple of the Christmas season is sitting around the television watching a Christmas movie with family and friends. But of the seemingly hundreds of movies, which one is the star on the tree? Some share stories of Santa to children ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), others want to spread the Christmas joy to adults ("It's a Wonderful Life"), and a select few are made to get laughs ("Elf"). All good movies, but merely ornaments on the Christmas tree of the best movies. What tops the tree is a movie that bridges the gap between these three movies, and makes it a great watch for anyone who chooses to watch it. Enter the timeless Christmas classic, "A Christmas Story." Created in 1983, this movie holds the tradition of capturing both young and old eyes for 24 straight hours on its Christmas Day marathon. It gets the most coverage out of all holiday movies, but the sheer amount of times it's on television does not make it the greatest. Why is it,
then? A Christmas Story does not try to tell the tale of a Christmas miracle or use Christmas magic to move the story. What it does do though is tell the real story of Christmas. It is relatable and brings out the unmatched excitement of children on Christmas in everyone who watches. Every one becomes a child again when they watch "A Christmas Story."

Keep Reading...Show less
student thinking about finals in library
StableDiffusion

As this semester wraps up, students can’t help but be stressed about finals. After all, our GPAs depends on these grades! What student isn’t worrying about their finals right now? It’s “goodbye social life, hello library” time from now until the end of finals week.

1. Finals are weeks away, I’m sure I’ll be ready for them when they come.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments