Slam poetry persuasive presentation scaffold - Victoria

a) Slam poetry: Somewhere in America by Get Lit

b) Poetry choice: Mirror by Sylvia Plath

Poetry is an art that is subject to the viewer.
Slam poetry is a form of poetry that uses
dramatic expression and language features to
convey a point or message. Teenagers apart of
the new century may have conflicting feelings
regarding styles of poetry, but one thing is
certain. Poetry will always find a way to
resonate with those willing to listen. Poems
use metaphors and vague meanings to
broaden the ways of being interpreted by the
audience, and while doing so, they can cover
many issues while being engaging. Poems are
a great way to explore prominent issues in an
artistic form, such as Mirror by Sylvia Plath and
Somewhere in America by Get Lit.

Somewhere in America is a slam poem created

by an American group named Get Lit. Its main
purpose is to bring awareness to the corrupt
hypocritical social norms reinforced through
the school system within the United States,
and the numerous topics of racism, sexual
assault, social stratification, etc. To convey this
message, Somewhere in America uses poetic
devices and language features such as
contrast, repetition and more. An example of
these poetic devices put into play include
repetition, such as the words, “Somewhere in
America” by constantly repeating these words
with different types of emphasis, the poem
confronts us with the uncomfortable truth of
the nation, stirring up emotions of frustration
and injustice, intensifying our bond with the
issue. The use of rhythm helps create a tone
for the poem and enhance ideas through pitch,
volume and intensity. Contrast is also
prevalent throughout the poem, portraying
the idealised version of America, along with
the harsh realities faced by the population.
This poem juxtaposes positive imagery with
negative imagery for example, “Somewhere in
America, private school girls search for hours
through boutiques, trying to find the prom
dress of their dreams” followed by “While kids
on the south side spending hours searching
through the 'lost and found' ‘cause winter's
coming soon and that's the only jacket they
have”. This contrasting is brought up abruptly
to deepen the effect of the message that the
poem tries to convey, that America is full of
inequalities and social issues. Teenagers today
are more woke now than ever before, and
slam poems are an artistic way of bringing to
light issues and political injustices. The use of
rhythm, rhyme and repetition is the main
appeal to slam poetry, and a great way of
drawing attention and focus. Slam poems
resonate with many of us, and the topics of
systemic injustice, racism and social issues
found within the poem, have been used to
create movements and change such as the