On a daily basis, news headlines reveal shocking nuances and dark aspects of society that had previously been camouflaged in as 'normal. Things tend to be much dirtier than they appear on the outside. Social issues are touchy and sensitive. Writing poetry about society is a bit of a double edge sword - poetry is a great medium for voicing opinion, but care needs to be taken in order to incorporate facts rather than myths into the prose. Much of the spoken word poems here are performance poetry pieces, meant to arouse an audience and juxtapose a connection. I hope you will find that connection within one of these slam poems.
As a piece of advice (not that I'm any real authority), my suggestion is that the best poems come from the heart. That said, writing about societal issues that have not personally touched or affected your life tends to lead to blanket statements and unsupported theories. When you write and perform spoken word, use it as an outlet to voice yourself, not a forum to bitch about something just because someone else is. (Thank you)
Society prompts poetry (at least if you're me); poetry, in turn, can be a highly effective tool in portraying one's take on societal issues. Some of the best topics to write social issue poetry about are: education, drugs, crime, racism, population control, government, neglect, abuse, war (political, religious, societal), sexism, violence, censorship, welfare, eating disorders, same-sex marriage and disease. If one of these topics doesn't pique your interest for a new spoken word piece, check out a couple of my blogs on topics for slam poetry.
The bottom line is that slam poetry gives people a voice when they may not have had one. We should all realize how many poems go viral, get millions of YouTube views and even make national news. This forum is much bigger than a 3 minute time slot - slam poetry is an opportunity to be heard and to make a difference. Use your words wisely, be smart, be mature and your message just might gain some traction in a society that is bleeding for help.
The topics covered in my poetry here are: Bullying, addiction, racism, stereotyping, womenizing, war, over eating, rehabilitation, need of acceptance, drugs....anything sound familiar? If you ever have a topic you want to see written about, let me know.
Social Issues Poems That Inspire Me...
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