Spoken word

Spoken word is artistic performance using only, as the name might imply, the spoken word. One of the most common sorts of spoken word performances is performance poetry, where a poet either reads previously-published poems, or reads poems specifically written to be performed aloud. Another kind that has gained popularity in recent years is political and social commentary, done in such a way that it is, while still prose, somewhat more artistic than a typical speech.

Artists known for spoken word performances and recorded spoken word releases include:

• Performance poetry:
  • Jack Kerouac
  • William S. Burroughs
• Political and social commentary
  • Jello Biafra
  • Henry Rollins