Rap and spoken word are some of the greatest forms of poetry being written today. Students who proclaim that they hate poetry might change their minds when they realize that any words with a rhythm can be called poetry! Here is an example of one of these types of poems.
Note: There is significant swearing in this video; play with discretion. I think that sometimes swearing in literature and poetry makes a big impact that other words can't, but you have to make sure that your students understand why the poet chose the words they did and how the tone of the language contributes to the message in the poem.
It is so important that students understand the wide range of poetry - it's not just Robert Frost and Shakespeare! I think that students can really relate to poems like the ones in these videos because they are written with such raw emotion about themes that show up in everyone's lives.
Please have a poetry slam of some sort in your classroom; students can write their own poems, or they can bring in poems and learn about the art of performing them for an audience. You may be surprised by what some of your students come up with!
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