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It may seem odd to rank poets like sports teams, but slam isn’t just art, it’s a competition. In an official poetry slam, a poet must present an original composition, no longer than three minutes and without using any props, music, or costumes. Five audience members are chosen at random to serve as judges and they rate each poem on a scale of one to ten. Unlike purely written poetry, just as much emphasis is placed on bodily movement and intonation as on the poem’s content.
By
the Voice Staff
February 27, 2003