What is the difference between slam poetry and poetry?
That’s not the right question to ask. There is no such thing as “slam poetry” even though the term “slam poet” seems to have gained acceptance. Those who use the term “slam poetry” are probably thinking more of hip-hop poetry or loud, in-your-face, vaguely poetic rants. The more useful question to ask is “What is the difference between spoken word and poetry?” Spoken word is poetry written first and foremost to be HEARD. At any given slam, much of the work presented could be called spoken word.
