Spoken word poetry is the art of performance poetry.

I tell people it involves creating poetry that doesn't just want to sit on paper, that something about it demands it be heard out loud or witnessed in person.

Poems. I have to write poems.

Poetry.

Poetry does that.

And Dad would read poetry to us. So I always liked it.

Li Bai's work is the most famous of Chinese poetry.

I don't want to write that stuff.

Goethe, the poet.

And despite my fear of ever being looked at for too long, I was fascinated by the idea of spoken word poetry.

SINGING IN LATIN

FATHER SINGING IN LATIN

Not bad for a love poem.

He read me his poems

(c) Literary works and oral traditions and expressions, such as tales, poetry and riddles, aspects of language such as words, signs, names, symbols and other indications

We have not taught (Muhammad) to versify, nor is it worthy of him. This is nothing but a reminder and illuminating discourse,

And We have not taught him (Prophet Mohammed peace and blessings be upon him) to recite poetry, nor does it befit him it is nothing but an advice and the bright Qur an.

We have not taught him poetry it is not seemly for him. It is only a Remembrance and a Clear Koran,

And We have not taught him poetry, nor it befitteth him. This is but an admonition and a Recital luminous

And We have not taught him (Muhammad SAW) poetry, nor is it meet for him. This is only a Reminder and a plain Quran.

We did not teach him poetry, nor is it proper for him. It is only a reminder, and a Clear Quran.

We did not teach him (to wit, the Messenger) poetry and it does not behove him. This is none but an Admonition, and a Clear Book

And We have not taught him (Muhammad) poetry, nor is it meet for him. This is naught else than a Reminder and a Lecture making plain,

We did not teach him poetry, nor does it behoove him. This is just a reminder and a manifest Quran,

We have not taught him (Prophet Muhammad) poetry, nor does it become him. This is only a Remembrance and a Clear Holy Reading (Koran)

And We did not give Prophet Muhammad, knowledge of poetry, nor is it befitting for him. It is not but a message and a clear Qur'an

We did not teach him (Muhammad) poetry, nor was he supposed to be a poet. It is only the word (of God) and the illustrious Quran

And We have not taught him poetry, nor is it meet for him it is nothing but a reminder and a plain Quran,

We have not taught him any poetry nor would it be fitting for him. This is merely a Reminder and a clear Quran

We have not instructed the (Prophet) in Poetry, nor is it meet for him this is no less than a Message and a Qur'an making things clear

Nothing more than a little verse really. It fell into disuse after the 17th century.

What's the heart of this poem?

He prefers poetry to fiction.

He went to read his poems in München, in Munich

It is like old Siamese rhyme

This poetic decadence is awful...

And it was here, listening to these poets share their stories, that I learned that spoken word poetry didn't have to be indignant, it could be fun or painful or serious or silly.

But what if they were poems and psalms?

Well, your verses would be worthy of Ovid, of Virgil, even of Homer.

To Scott.

I was very struck by Natalie Merchant's songs last night, recovering old poems.

He loved poetry so much that he sacrificed Rome for a song.

(singing if I fall ill, I won't go to the doctors.)

And with a beauty of language almost as if the Shakespeare and the poetry he had so loved as a child had worked their way into his very soul.

And the choir conductor there knew that I sang and invited me to come and join the choir.