Yale’s Spoken Word Groups Ignite Community Through Poetry

Yale University’s spoken word performance groups, ¡Oye! and WORD, are fostering community and self-expression among students through the art of poetry. These platforms serve as vital spaces for vulnerability and creativity, pushing the limits of traditional written poetry.

On November 7, 2023, WORD hosted its fall semester showcase titled “Word on the Street.” The event highlighted a diverse collection of freeform poetry, with various pieces linked by themes related to the human body. Following this showcase, ¡Oye! will conduct its own performance, “Bittersweet,” on November 16, 2023, focusing on nostalgia and the bittersweet nature of experiences.

Faven Wondwosen, co-president of WORD, shared insights on the unique appeal of slam poetry. “What makes slam so special… is because it creates an environment that doesn’t exist often,” Wondwosen explained. “For just a few minutes when you’re up on stage, you’re creating a space where everyone feels similarly, where everyone feels the same. It’s a moment of mass empathy.” This sentiment captures the transformative power of spoken word poetry, bridging the gap between written words and personal experiences.

Preparations for ¡Oye!’s upcoming performance have been underway for the past two weeks. During weekly meetings, poets have been crafting pieces inspired by the theme of “Bittersweet.” These sessions begin with students sharing personal highlights and challenges from their week, fostering a supportive atmosphere conducive to creativity. Following this sharing, members spend time responding to prompts created by artistic director Emily Singh, allowing for a range of interpretations and creative responses.

“It’s always so fun to see how some people are thinking about it in a very literal way,” Singh remarked. “If I throw one word out there, I can have 20 different replies, but it’s still a community, and we all get it, we all understand the emotion conveyed in that person’s poems.”

The bilingual nature of ¡Oye!’s performances enhances the experience for audiences, allowing them to connect with poems delivered in both English and Spanish. Co-president Sara Ramos emphasized the importance of audience engagement, noting that attendees are encouraged to express their support through snaps and vocal affirmations. The group, affiliated with La Casa Cultural, maintains its roots in Latin American poetry while welcoming all poets from diverse backgrounds. “Spoken word is how you want to portray your thoughts in words to people,” said Olutola Britto, ¡Oye!’s publicity chair. “It’s more of like, ‘How can I express this to people that are not reading the text to feel what they need to feel or how I would like them to feel?’”

Britto’s journey to spoken word began during his time in the U.S. military, where he began writing letters to his family. “When I was in Iraq, I used to host poetry nights with a group of soldiers to just express themselves,” he shared. This early experience with poetry laid the foundation for his passion for self-expression, which he has since carried into his work with ¡Oye!.

Meetings for WORD are similarly structured. Members begin by sharing their weekly experiences before moving into writing and sharing their poems in both small groups and with the entire club. Wondwosen expressed appreciation for the rapid creation of art within these meetings. “It’s nice to be reminded of all of the art and the talent that can exist so quickly,” she stated. “It’s nice to have WORD bang out these poems in 30 minutes, and they’re gorgeous.”

The medium of spoken word allows for an emphasis on rhythm and delivery that is often absent in traditional poetry. Singh highlighted this aspect, noting how spoken word requires poets to control their tempo and intonation. “When you listen to spoken word poems, they have this insane control of the rhythm and rhyme scheme that flows so naturally,” she explained.

In addition to their showcases, WORD collaborates with other campus groups for smaller events, including a joint performance with the Undergraduate Jazz Collective, which has been ongoing for two years. This collaboration reflects the historical roots of poetry slams, which originated in jazz clubs.

“Bittersweet” will take place in the Ezra Stiles College common room at 19:00 on November 16, 2023. Both ¡Oye! and WORD continue to enrich the cultural landscape at Yale, providing students with invaluable opportunities to express themselves and connect through the power of poetry.