CassandraLapp

Mr.White
CPEnglish12,Period5
2015
SpokenWord

Introduction

DuringmySeniorproject,Idontexpecteverythingtogoperfectly.MyprojectisSpoken
WordPoetrywhichisperformedpoetryinitself.SpokenWordpoetryispassionateand
revealing.Itshowsdeeperemotionsandthoseemotionsareexpressedwidely.FormyprojectI
willbeincorporatingdancethatachoreographedmyself.
PuttingdanceinthisprojecttomeisimportantbecauseIcanreallyshowmyemotions
throughmydancing.Iamnotaprofessionaldancer,butitissomethingthatIlovetodo.Iwill
alsobevideotapingthesedancesandmakingcoolvideosoutofthembecauseIknowhowto
editvideoswithasoftwareonmycomputercalled
SerifMoviePlusX5
.Icaneasilyeditthese
videosandbasicallydoanythingIwantwiththem.Videosareimportanttomeandthisproject
becauseitsaskillofmineandIreallyenjoymakingvideosandthiswouldbemyfirstdance
videoandIthinkitwouldbereallyamazingtoseegrowththroughthat.
AlsoforthisSpokenWordIwillbewritingmyownpoetry.Thisisoneofthemost
importantpartsofmyprojectbecauseeverythingiscomingfromme.Ihavealwayslovedto
writepoetryandonedayIhopeIcanbeapoetryartistandpublishmyownpoetrybooksor

continuetomakeSpokenWordPoetryvideos.Usingoriginalpoetryfrommyselfisimportantto
thisprojectbecauseIamactuallycreatingsomethingandittellstheworldmypassionandhowI
feel.ThisprojectisimportanttomebecausepoetryissomethingIampassionateaboutandit
comestomeasquicklyasthewindscometowaves.SpokenWordisimportanttomebecauseit
isveryempoweringanditreallycatchestheattentionofothersusuallyandIreallyhopethatis
whatmyprojectdoesforeveryonewhoviewsit.
AsidefromchoosingwhichdancersIshouldwanttobeinmySeniorproject,Ihave
someotherproblemsthatneedtobeaddressed.Onebeingthatpeoplewontbeableto
understandwhatIamtryingtoconvey.Asecondbeingthatpeoplewillnotfeelempoweredby
thepoetryIwrite.AnotherbeingthatnoonewillknowwhatSpokenWordis.Lastly,Ifeelasif
peoplewillnotseethepassionthroughSpokenWordorfeeltheimportanceofit.

Facts

TeachersshouldteachaboutSpokenWordbecauseitisagreatwayforstudentsto
expressthemselves.Poetrycanbeaboutlengthoraboutvisualrepresentations/whatthewriteris
tryingtoconvey,butpoetryisatypeoflanguagethatisinterestingwithmanydifferent
characteristicsincludingsounds,forms,ortheuseofimagery,metaphors,and
symbols/symbolism("
IntroductiontoPoetry
").SpokenWordhastohaveattitudeandasubject
asafirst,butwithoutanattitudetherecanbenopoemandwritershavetocontinuewiththe
practicethateveryoneseestheworlddifferently,andthatmustbeshared("
5TipsonSpoken
Word
").SpokenwordisthemeansoffreedomforeveryintensefeelingandwithFreeVerse

thereisnothingholdingthewriterbackfromwritingexpression("
SpokenWordPoetryUnit
").
Whenreadersreadapoemtheywillmostlikelyhavetoreadthepoetryafewtimesbefore
understanding,butshouldalwaysbepatientwhenitgetsconfusing("
IntroductiontoPoetry
").
Thisisaperfectopportunitytoteachaboutpoetry,ifteachersletstudentsgothrough
SpokenWordandexperiencethecombinationofwhatisintheirlifemixedwithSpokenWord
freelymakingthemmoreinvolved("
SpokenWordPoetryUnit
").UsuallytheonlySpokenWord
poetrywenoticearetheempoweringonestheonesthatactuallysaysomethingandthosestand
outtoteenagersthemost("
5TipsonSpokenWord
.).Amongthisgeneration,SpokenWordis
usuallyseenassomethingmoreconnectedcloselytorap,whichisareasonteacherswontteach
itbecausetheyrefusetoseeitasrealpoetry(
SpokenWordPoetryUnit
).Repetitioniskindof
excitingwhenrepeatingmainideasorimages(
5TipsonSpokenWord
).Thespeakerofa
poemisnotalwaysthepoetormaincharacterandthereadershastoidentifythat(
Introduction
toPoetry
).DuringSpokenWord,eyecontactiscrucialtokeepingtheaudienceinvolvedand
projectthepoet'svoicealongwithsomefacialexpressionstoconveywhatitistheyaresaying
(
5TipsonSpokenWord
).
TeachingthestudentsaboutSpokenWordpoetrywillbetterhelptheminwriting
altogether.Poetryisoneofthemostneglectedandignoredwritingsourcesinschoolandhigh
schoolistheareathatstopsitaltogetherusually(Patrick,Lisa).Oftenpeopledislikepoetry
becauseitwastoodifficultfortheminschoolorthatitdoesntapplytothem(Carroll,Robert).
SpokenWordcanbeusedinawaytohelpstudentsfightanissueortakeastandonthingsthey
careabout(Williams,WendyR.).Studentsfinditeasiertotalkaboutcertainthings,likedeath,
throughpoetry(Carroll,Robert).WhenstudentsfoundtheyenjoyedwritingFoundPoetryina

studybeingdone,theteachersconductingthestudyhadalotmoreconfidencetowardteaching
poetryaswriting(Patrick,Lisa).
Therearepatternstobetaughtinpoetryandthereader'sthoughtsaboutthispoetrywill
changeandexpandalongwithknowledgeofit.SpokenWordneedstobeperformedandisnot
justmadetobekeptonapage("
WhatExactlyIsSpokenWord?
").Withinpoetrythewriterwill
betornbetweenmadnessandpoweroverit,butthewritercanusethemequallytogether
("
WelcometothePurdueOWL
").Itispowerful,fast,anditusuallyrelatestocurrenteventsor
issues("
WhatExactlyIsSpokenWord?
").Whatthewritershavepoweroverisstructureandthe
madnessthatwillbewiththeexpressivelanguageusedinthistypeofpoetry("
Welcometothe
PurdueOWL
").Itisconnectedtostorytellingandmusicalongwithperformanceareaslike
monologuetheatre("
WhatExactlyIsSpokenWord?
").
ThereareeffectsthatSpokenWordcanhaveonyou.StudentswriteandreadSpoken
Wordinmanyvoices,evenjustthroughspeakingittheyhavedifferentvoices(Wilson,Ralph
C.,Jr.).InonestudywheretheyreachedouttopeoplethatgotHIV,therewasaslightdifference
intheirreaction,butnotmuch(Richwood,Tiarney,etal.).Perspectivesfromtheworldsocially
orfromthemselvesimpactthevoices(Wilson,RalphC.,Jr.).TheadultsandyouthwithHIV
usedSpokenWordtowarnothersaboutgettingHIVandtoexpresshowtheyfeltaboutitand
themselves(Richwood,Tiarney,etal.).Whenpeopleorstudentsaretaughtaboutpoetry,they
developownershipoftheirownwritingandarentafraidtoclaimitbecauseoftheirconfidence
(Wilson,RalphC.,Jr.).Peoplestarttoincreasesupportintheircommunitiesanddecreasethe
mythstheyhearandmakeitknownthemythsarefalse(Richwood,Tiarney,etal.).

Conclusion

SpokenWordshouldbeusedmoreinschoolsbecauseitteachesstudentstobeopen,to
showtheeffectithasonothers,andtohelpfindyourselfthroughpoetry.LearningallthatIhave
abouthowspokenwordhelpspeople,andwouldbegoodforschool,helpsmetounderstandhow
alotofpeoplefeelonthesamesubjectofexpressingthemselves.Myprojectisimpactingmein
manyways.Thewaysbeing:Iambecomingmoreoutgoingfromthis,Iwanttostandupagainst
issuesandproclaimmyside,andIwanttocontinuewritingtobenefitothersinapositiveway.I
hopespokenword,ormyproject,impactsothersinthewaywheretheycanfeelaspassionate
aboutthisasIdoandIhopetheywanttostandupanddosomethingforthegoodofsociety.I
amgoingtoapplythisresearchtomyprojectbykeepingmyaudienceinmindwhenIcreatethe
choreographyandotherpoems.Iwillapplythistomyprojectinregardstoshowingteachers
theyshouldteachmorefreewritepoetrybecauseofhowimpactfulitisandhownonrestricting
itiscomparedtotraditionalpoetry.Iwillapplymyprojecttomylifegrowingthroughprojection
andnotbeingfearfulwhenIampassionateandlearningtousesomethingIlovetocreateother
amazingthings.

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