2007年VOA标准英语-Spoken Word Poetry Promises a Better Future for

By Rachel Abrams
New York
24 April 2007

Spoken word poetry - a mix of rap, storytelling and poetry - has captured the attention and talents of many New York City teenagers. In some instances, it has changed their lives completely. Correspondent Barbara Schoetzau has a report by intern¹ Rachel Abrams on why this relatively² new art form has a specific appeal to young people and what impact it may have on their future.

A competitive poetry slam at Nuyorican Poets Cafe in New York

"I'm a 20-year-old black kid out of Brooklyn, New York, with a knife in one hand and the other's a fork. I ain't changing my appearance, that would be a mistake. As long as I love who I am, there's no reason to hate," said Tyrone Grizz.

Tyrone Grizz, a 20-year-old poet who's been writing and performing in New York City since 2002. Grizz works with the local nonprofit organization Urban Word, which provides writing and performing workshops to area teens. Grizz's focus, however, is with spoken word poetry, a relatively new art form that has captured the attention of hundreds of young people in New York City. Poets often perform in "slams" - the common term for a competition in which each writer reads an original, three-minute piece to be judged by members of the audience.

Brian Henry is a teenage success story within this relatively small community. He helped lead the 2005 Urban Word slam Team to victory in the annual teen poetry slam, a national poetry competition. He has also been heard on Black Entertainment Television and Russel Simmons Presents: Def Poetry Jam.

"The only difference between rap music and spoken word is the beat," said Brian Henry. "If you take away a beat of a song and just have lyrics³, that's poetry. Poetry could be a journal entry, poetry could be an essay."

Observers say spoken word poetry has become an outlet⁴ for many young people to vent⁵ their frustrations⁶ in a safe, non-judgmental environment. Writers don't just tell their own stories but use the stage as a vehicle for social commentary.

Kesed Ragin is a 21-year-old poet who has had a lot of experience both performing for and working with other young writers. He's passionate⁷ not only about this art but also its impact on the performers.

"The youth, they all want to be a part of something, they all want to have a voice, they want to say something, they want to stand out," said Kesed Ragin. "It's hard growing up in America alone, just wanting to be noticed, and this is a medium for them to get up and say what they have to say. A lot of these youth come from underserved communities and their parents do not even notice them. This is a way for them to get noticed. You got the same youth who do it the other way. They get a spray can and go draw on the wall, whereas these youth, they take out a pen and a pad and they write out their frustrations."

For some, having a voice goes beyond just being a therapeutic⁸ form of expression. Kesed says many young people who have become involved have seen their lives and self-image drastically changed, especially those who may have grown up in underprivileged areas where they lacked educational resources.

"I've seen so many youth who did not even consider going to college and now they are about to graduate from universities," he said. "I've seen so many who were into drugs and gangs and so much negativity, but this showed them they have a voice and people care and that if you work hard enough you can get anything you please."

Kesed says the spoken word movement has been a way for youth to empower themselves. He believes more self-worth leads many to place more of a value on self-improvement.

Here's Carlos Gomez, a 25-year-old professional poet and activist⁹ who has taught poetry and creative writing to many young people like Brian and Kesed.

"I think the biggest change I've seen with young people that I've worked with is seeing them for the first time valuing reading and writing, some of them weren't strong English speakers, valuing themselves and their education," said Gomez. "Self-esteem is the most powerful thing. When someone finds something where they have ownership in it, where they are told that they not only can say anything they want but they have the power to be listened to and be respected and be taken seriously. That's the ultimate forum¹⁰ to develop a strong sense of self."

Carlos emphasizes that these changes extend beyond the paper and the stage, a sentiment Kesed and other young poets share.

"When the writing stops, their lives still continue," said Kesed. "We don't want to make it look like we only care about you in your writing and your performance and after that you leave this place, that's it, no. After you leave this place, it's a continuous battle and we try to be there with them for the whole thing. First you save yourself and then you save the world. I'm here for the long run. It's not a sprint¹¹ it's a marathon."

Carlos and Kesed both say that these changes are not temporary. If you talk to these poets and mentors¹², they will all tell you the same thing: That in the end, everyone hopes that these young people will have acquired the skills and values that will serve them later in life, not only to be successful artists but successful human beings.

1 intern   

v.拘禁，软禁；n.实习生

参考例句：

• I worked as an intern in that firm last summer.去年夏天我在那家商行实习。
• The intern bandaged the cut as the nurse looked on.这位实习生在护士的照看下给病人包扎伤口。

2 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

3 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

4 outlet   

n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄

参考例句：

• The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
• Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。

5 vent   

n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄

参考例句：

• He gave vent to his anger by swearing loudly.他高声咒骂以发泄他的愤怒。
• When the vent became plugged,the engine would stop.当通风口被堵塞时，发动机就会停转。

6 frustrations   

挫折( frustration的名词复数 )； 失败； 挫败； 失意

参考例句：

• The temptation would grow to take out our frustrations on Saigon. 由于我们遭到挫折而要同西贡算帐的引诱力会增加。
• Aspirations will be raised, but so will frustrations. 人们会产生种种憧憬，但是种种挫折也会随之而来。

7 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

8 therapeutic   

adj.治疗的，起治疗作用的；对身心健康有益的

参考例句：

• Therapeutic measures were selected to fit the patient.选择治疗措施以适应病人的需要。
• When I was sad,music had a therapeutic effect.我悲伤的时候，音乐有治疗效力。

9 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

10 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

11 sprint   

n.短距离赛跑；vi. 奋力而跑，冲刺；vt.全速跑过

参考例句：

• He put on a sprint to catch the bus.他全速奔跑以赶上公共汽车。
• The runner seemed to be rallied for a final sprint.这名赛跑者似乎在振作精神作最后的冲刺。

12 mentors   

n.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的名词复数 )v.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Beacham and McNamara, my two mentors, had both warned me. 我的两位忠实朋友，比彻姆和麦克纳马拉都曾经警告过我。 来自辞典例句
• These are the kinds of contacts that could evolve into mentors. 这些人是可能会成为你导师。 来自互联网