Daybook Entry 2: Oral Literacy

Slam Poetry
Effectiveness
Connection with audience
Appropriateness
Informal vs. Formal
Content
The message that the author is trying to send to the audience
Delivery
Style- body language and facial expression
Vocabulary and grammar

Slam poetry reflections

The Shrinking Woman

The author intended message is the girls having to stay quite in order to please
society and men. The message is an awakening to me when she compared the
lessons that boys learn from their father, which is to be assertive in speaking their
mind; whereas girls were taught by our mothers to be proper and be a lady. Our
environment is unconsciously shaping girls to their ideal figures. As girls we are
expect to be proper, such as talk less and listen to what the men have to say.
Parents would send girls to lessons that would essentially makes them more ideal
to men, such as piano lessons, cooking lessons, dance lessons, sewing class, and
art class. Society as a whole discourages female success because everything is for
the benefit of the male. Parents send their daughters to piano lessons and dance
lessons so they can become elegant young ladies that would make them more
appealing and attract the right attentions. They encourage their daughters to learn
how to cook and do house chores because one day they will have to do that for
their own family. Females are being shaped into an ideal shape so they would
eventually be ship out and become the perfect housewives.

21
The author referred to twenty-one because it was his age. He reflects on the entire
significant event that happened to him for twenty-one year. When I thought of
twenty-one, I thought of the legal drinking age and that is considered the legal age
where one person could be hold accountable for all of their actions. I thought of
how stressful becoming a young adult is because I have so much to accomplish
yet I am trying to figure who I am as person. So I would often as myself what am
I trying to accomplish if I have no clue who I want to be? The idea of me not
wanting to become an adult is ironic because when I was younger, all I wanted to
do was to become an adult. His story happened similar to how a VHR tape is
rewinding, but usually stories start off good and end bad. His story however,
started off bad and end good when he referred to his childhood.

The Rape Poem to end all Rape Poem

The poem was interesting because there were four girls standing together, which
makes their projection much louder when they have to make a point. They listed
all of the arguments to why girls deserve to be raped or how it is their fault for the
rape, which I appreciated. They started off their poem by stating the obvious of
there have already been so many rape poems and headlines. They made the point
that the prosecution of rape will stop when there are no more rape victims. I
thought they were clever when they the point as well as listing the criticism.
However, I did not like their poem because I thought it was obnoxious since they
were cussing throughout the whole poem. I understand it supposed to represent
the anger that they feel; however, it made girls look bad. There are better to
approach the subject instead of profanity, and the poem was too much to endure.

Group Poetry
Do you a nerdy Asian girl who has the disadvantage of race and gender?
If knowledge and intellectual are valuable,
then why am I the only one being called a nerd?
If knowledge and intellectual are virtue,
then why am I being treated like an outcast?
But nerd is an honorable title,
because I spend my time learning new things and focusing in school
Nerds are the one that sign the check,
while you work at a dead end job.
Reflection
The objective of this daybook entry allowed me to refer back to the different social issues
that I have learned in class. Slam poetries is one of the best tools to discuss social issues as well
as inspirational messages. Based on the first three poems that I reflected on, I learned that if
words are used correctly it can convey more than just the content. Slam poetry is enlighten to
watch because the author have do prepare their poems well in terms of content and how they
want the listeners to feel. I believe their biggest pay-off is not applause but it is their ability to
inspire their listeners to think and say wow, I have never thought about this subject before.
Slam poetry is entertaining to watch, but the process of constructing the poem is complicated. I
sat in my dorm for several hours while starring at the wall trying to come up with different
concepts. I have respect for the author/presenter because they have to write and delivery their
poem for a set amount of time. I spent three days trying to compile my ideas into one stanza and
I was not able to deliver my part properly.