Her poems explore race, gender, sexuality, religion, and self-worth. Yasmin Monet Watkins is a spoken word poet, author, and actress from Los Angeles. This piece talks about how small moments of success can help make it easier to deal with depression. The subjects of her poems range from personal issues to social commentary. Kait Rokowski is a spoken word poet who has mainly been featured on the YouTube channel Button Poetry. The poem in this video urges the viewer to not let their jobs define or limit them, especially if they dream of being something more. His work deals with the topics of education, relationships, and simply everyday life. Suli Breaks is a UK-based spoken word artist known for his spoken word videos on his YouTube. The American’T Dream (The Purse Suit of Happyness) by Suli Breaks In this piece, he discusses how some people in life limit their potential due to a fear of failure, especially when they are trying to be successful. His poems often fuse his religious faith with personal observations. Propaganda is a Christian hip-hop artist and spoken word poet from Los Angeles. The poem embodies three of four tenets he mentions prior to reading the poem: read critically, write consciously, speak clearly, and tell your truth. In this TED Talk, he performs a short spoken word piece on the power of speaking up when it is necessary. If you could use some inspiration, check out these six spoken word performances.Ĭlint Smith is a New Orleans-based spoken word poet and teacher whose work draws from the lives of his students and his experiences as a teacher. While no subject is off-limits in spoken word or any other poetry form, the most powerful spoken word poems are often about social or personal issues. One of the most dynamic forms of poetry is spoken word, a form of performance poetry that uses the voice to engage the audience. It’s no wonder that it has its own month: April is National Poetry Month. Poetry has been one of the most inspirational and creative mediums for self-expression for centuries.