“Adrienne Rich would follow the banner cry of the “personal is political” to argue for a “crossover between personal and political” and applaud the efforts of her fellow women poets to “write directly and overtly as a woman, out of a woman’s body and experience, to take women’s experience seriously as theme and source for art.” The “I” of the lyric poem… draws upon self-knowlegde and experience to alter the ideological and material structures of patriarchy.” – “Lyric interventions: feminism, experimental poetry and contemporary discourse” By Linda Arbaugh Kinnahan

The other day I found myself, as usual, flipping through random YouTube videos and a thought hit my tired and work-dazed mind, “oh yeah, I like slam poetry.” That was all it took for my addiction to become supercharged. For the next FOUR hours, all I did was watch slam poetry and marvel at the way nothing was off topic, no perspective was excluded and no voice had to sound like the other.  I was in heaven. Not only is poetry being used as a method of social criticism and examination, it is also being used as a means to empower and give voice to the voices that were previously silent, with no sphere to call their own. I am more convinced than ever, that in poetry, lies a special key for everyone, but especially women, to have voice and identity.

Before we get into the substance of my post, watch my new favorite poets and how they expose, examine and reflect with their poems. (Ps: Sarah Kay is more of a poet/spoken word artist, just an awesome example of how poetry can lead us to new methods of expression.)

I remember the first time I got “into” poetry. I was in middle school and we were studying William Shakespeare. I found his sonnets interesting and mysterious, like one of those presents that have so many ribbons tied around them, and so much wrapping paper, that you have to take time, really take the time, to get to the present itself. However, in the end I always found the present something un-relatable to me. A middle-aged white man from the Golden Age in England doesn’t have a lot to do with a small-town tomboy who wanted to be president and wear her tutu also.  It was like when my grandmother finally gave me the American Girl Doll I had wanted for years… when I was fifteen.  It was nice, but it had nothing to do with who I was at the moment or that stage in my life.

I formed the opinion that poetry, while certainly a talent, very interesting and possibly empowering, was not relevant to me. I had better things to do with my writing anyways, like try to write novels and become famous, or learn how to write a properly constructed essay so I could pass tests and get accepted into college.  I was lost in a sea of normative writing practices and set models for expression. Thank goodness for Emily Dickinson.

“The Soul Unto Itself”- Emily Dickinson

Through a style all her own and a succinct voice that didn’t waste time on flowery words, Emily Dickinson’s personal and clear cut poems made me wonder if there really was a way that poetry could be an avenue for my voice.  I began to write poetry and I began to learn to be honest with myself. In my poems, I could say what I wanted, how I really felt, outside of any construct other than what I imposed upon myself. I began to know myself.

Poetry is about being able to say who you are in that moment, without pretending or trying to form some fictional character who mirrors you. Poetry is honest. Poetry is emotive. Poetry is a voice that jumps up from the paper or springs from your voice, grabs you and says, “Here I am. This IS me..” If my poetry could speak, it would say, “This is me being honest. This is when you actually get ME and no other influences or outside perspectives. This is how I see things. This is how I think. This is how I hurt. This is how I love. This is how I should be allowed to speak and be heard. And this is just the beginning.” Because I think that as poetry enables me to have voice, it also gives me room to grow and, maybe, find even newer ways to express myself.