Step 3: Write your heart out

• Engels
• Secundair onderwijs

Step 3: Write your heart out

Understanding the power of words

Ex. 1

Watch the video ‘A short history of spoken word poetry’ and reconstruct the timeline of the spoken word.

Compare notes afterwards.

1920s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1982

1984

1990s

2000s

currently

future

Apples and Snakes was founded

spoken word as voice of counter-culture

Beat Generation poetry

solo poetry shows

spoken word poetry goes viral

- MC battles

- slams go worldwide

UK's ranting poets

jazz poetry

comedy poetry

poetry slam Chicago

poetry gets views online

 spoken word poets headline festivals

- poems in space?

- poet robots?

political black poetry

Ex. 2

Check out a modern hero of the spoken word.

Ex. 2

a Listen to Kae Tempest performing ‘More Pressure’ (ft. Kevin Abstract) and fill in the gaps.

b / 

c What do you think ‘More Pressure’ is about? Explain, using examples from the text.

Ex. 2a

Ex. 2a

Ex. 2b

What do you think ‘More Pressure’ is about? Explain, using examples from the text.

- it's about breaking free from the negative stress in life put on us by society or by others (pressure, deceit, push, instruction,...)

- it's about replacing it by your own positive stress and energy (connection, belief, flow, release, ...) 

- it's about relying less on certainties from society as we know it (certains are flimsy) and daring to question them (The truth is I don’t know, What’s real?) and choosing your own path (What’s true to you?).

Ex. 2

c What do you think ‘More Pressure’ is about? Explain, using examples from the text.

The song focuses on breaking free from the negative stress in life imposed on us by society or by others (‘More release’, ‘More relief’, ‘Less push’, ‘Less deceit’, ‘Less instruction’, ‘Please, let me go’) and replacing it by your own positive stress and energy (‘More pressure’, ‘More connection’, ‘More belief’, ‘More flow’) following your own rhythm and relying less on certainties from society as we know it (‘certains are flimsy’) and daring to question them (‘The truth is I don’t know’, ‘What’s real?’) to choose your own path (‘What’s true to you’, ‘More rooted’).

Ex. 3

Have you ever done freewriting? Explain in your own words what it is.

Watch the video to find out what it is in ex. 4

a What are 3 main characteristics of freewriting?

b What are the advantages of using freewriting?

Ex. 4

a What are 3 main characteristics of freewriting?

Ex. 4

a What are 3 main characteristics of freewriting?

- Write in order to think: with freewriting, the idea is that writing is thinking.

- Write continuously for a set amount of time (e.g. 10 minutes).

- Write whatever you are thinking or feeling; don’t worry about grammar or

spelling.

Ex. 4

b What are the advantages of using freewriting?

Ex. 4

b What are the advantages of using freewriting?

- It can help you when you have a writer’s block: if you start writing, the ideas will come. It is always easier to write more, if you have something to start.

- Two or three sessions of freewriting will produce all the ideas needed.

- Doing freewriting regularly will improve your writing skills.

CHECK OUT

You are going to do a creative language exercise, using freewriting, inspired by paintings or photographs. Based on the atmosphere and emotions of the artworks, you will use written or spoken word to express yourself creatively.

Go to Classroom and follow the instructions there.