compare contrast
Compare and contrast the assigned “Performance” poems.
“Dinosaurs in the Hood (Links to an external site.)” by Danez Smith
“The Period PoemLinks to an external site.” by Dominique Christina Ashaheed
“Ode to Waffle House After Midnight (Links to an external site.)” by Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib
“My Family’s Fears (Links to an external site.)” by Serena Chopra
Consider the following:
Do some sound more or less experimental than others? Do they all tell stories, or some more than others? How does each piece use repetition differently? Why is repetition meaningful in each piece, and how does it impact you as a listener? How important is changing volume and/or maintaining a consistent volume in these pieces? How does the performer’s vocal range impact how you hear or understand each piece? What role does the audience play? How does audience (or lack thereof) impact each poet’s performance?
What do you personally prefer, based on what we’ve read in this unit: page poetry or performance poetry? Why?
If you were to pick one favorite poem from all our “Poetry” unit readings, which would it be? What do you find most interesting or compelling about it?
