I couldn't help but laugh at the over-introducing the poem part or at 2:20, but I think this person is going to the wrong readings (or at least ones very different from the ones I go to). if I had to choose, I'd take poets steeped in pretension over most of these. if I were to make a list, it'd go more like: • I went to another country once and that is the most important thing so I'm going to write all my poems about it • I have sex and that is a nice thing about me. here is a poem about it that is too anatomically detailed • either I am unaware of time passing or have complete disregard for everyone who must read after me, but regardless here's an epic-length poem • I am drunk • I'm convinced I'm a Beat poet because they're not all dead or from generations ago. also, this poem is edgy • my poems don't make any kind of sense but the words sound good so let's be friends • I won't look up from my paper at you, sorry • I'm reading off my phone. haha, a joke about the future, right? • all rise, the honorable The Poet residing. please bask in the glory of my verse and boost my ego accordingly • here's my life story followed by a poem about a dog I mean this all good-naturedly, I promise
Oh, absolutely. It's funny to see how people attend different-styled poetry readings/open mics. I have seen several of these styles at mine (many of which were bro-ish house parties in college, to be sure). I even know one guy who combines multiple "styles" in one. It's interesting.
I'm trying to imagine a poetry reading in an environment like that, but I'm having a hard time imagining it. I think "poetry voice" is a thing people (including me sometimes) need to learn not to do.I have seen several of these styles at mine (many of which were bro-ish house parties in college, to be sure).
It was interesting. It was a good time. It was hosted by some guys that were self-affirmed bros, but clearly due to their interest in poetry weren't fully bros. They were talented chaps. The poetry night started small but gained popularity, first with other kids who liked to write poetry but weren't in our creative writing classes and then as parties. By the end of it (this lasted about 3 years) there was much less poetry reading. But for a nice long middle ground we had a couple of hours of poetry reading each night. It was held on a weekly basis, on Thursdays. So you'd have a lot of alcohol and conversation mainly in the kitchen and outdoors. Lots of yelling for the kitchen to be quiet. Some nights you'd get a drunken crush of people in the main/reading room and some asshole would stand up and recite the speech from Independence Day or Frost's "Whose Woods These Are, I Do Not Know" except a parody about flatulence. There were a lot of different drugs at a lot of different times. Plenty of people and I was one standing up and saying "So I just wrote this but..." Some friends were in bands so we'd have bands come and play or local musicians. Some of the bros were decent at guitar and we ended many a night at 1 or 2 in the morning, most of us drunk (I didn't realy drink at the time) and singing "Wagon Wheel" or similar. We did a sonnet duel once where a kid and I recited sonnets to each other line by line. That didn't last long haha, it's trippy on the tongue. Most of the time it was OC, not recitation. We had slam poets and page poets. It was a big mix of all sorts of types.