Spoken word poetry is a form of expression for some South students. These spoken word poets find an outlet in poetry.

“I feel like [spoken word poems] are more empowering,” sophomore Dahlia Maleh said. “You get to emphasize on what you want to and change tones when you want.”

For sophomore Dasha German, spoken word poetry allows for a raw representation of her feelings.

“More often than not, spoken word is very direct in showing the poet’s emotions in a variety of vocal methods,” German said. “I prefer poetry that [allows] more of a flow of my emotions into phrases and metaphors, rather than a highly structured format filled with guidelines and requirements.”

Getting on stage and sharing thoughts and feelings can put some people on edge. Maleh has performed multiple times in different locations and has participated in a spoken word competition. According to Maleh, she starts to shake and get nervous before she gets on stage. Sophomore Grace Cepeda also feels anxious before performances.

“It’s always nerve-wracking, especially for spoken word, where you are often spilling a big part of yourself, but it is always well received,” Cepeda said. “People who voluntarily come to a poetry slam are not people who will make fun of your struggles.”

Though sharing personal thoughts is fearful for many poets, German believes the result of sharing those thoughts is rewarding.

“It’s a very eye-opening experience to [perform],” German said. “I had all these thoughts inside me which I turned into poetry. [It’s] nerve-wracking, but when you step in front of people, you realize that all these people accept you and are here to listen because they too might be struggling with the same issues.”

All of these poets used spoken word to relieve stress and explain their feelings, but German’s use of spoken word allowed her to better understand her own feelings.

“Listening to all these people put all their emotions into these poems and speaking out about what they felt really hit home for a slightly struggling eighth grade me who was constantly drowning under my emotions for lack of ability to express them,” German said. “Hearing all these people speak up and speak loud really helped me find my voice.”