OVERVIEW OF FORM & STYLE

• Lyrical poetry (as most featured in Indie Poetry)– Characterized by short or average poem length– Often expresses the personal feelings or reflections of the

author– Is directed towards the reader– Originated from musical lyric where words were sung to the

tune of a lyre or other musical instrument around the time of the 7th century

– See also, steps for poetry analysis handout for a more detailed summary

OVERVIEW OF FORM & STYLE

• Narrative poetry (another common form)– The author will usually reflect on a moment in time.– Focuses on a single event in time, or a series of events– The narration of any event unfolds slowly, particularly if

focusing on a single moment or happening, and is often detailed.

– Written from the perspective of an observant speaker.

CONSIDERING POETRY'S POTENTIAL FOR RAISING SOCIAL AWARENESS

INDIE POETRY & SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS

WHAT IS INDIE POETRY?

• Indie poetry has an affinity for social awareness and is written by musical performers that often associate this term with their genre of music. • The term “indie” rose out of the strong sense of

independence that these artists take when creating their music-- which includes their lyrical process, subject inspiration, & occasionally record publication. • Indie poetry demonstrates the ways in which

writing can be emotionally exploratory, and how it can create a meaningful dialogue concerning different aspects of social awareness.

COMMON QUALITIES OF INDIE POETRY

• Often has unconventional traits concerning sound and structure.• It can create meaningful dialogue within the

boundaries of a poem.• Indie poetry is a creative outlet that justifies

incorporating social awareness into our lives, as it expands upon it with unique, individualized content.

INDIE POETS WRITE CONCERNING VARIOUS TOPICS RELEVANT TO SOCIAL

AWARENESS

• Social intimacy and disclosure• Extended metaphor• Confront both positive and negative

emotions• Are confessional, dramatic, theoretical• Bold and opinionated• Introspective

STRUCTURE AND FORM

• These poems can be lyrically terse, or can dedicate 30 or more lines to narration.• Some poets are very experimental in their use of

structure• Visual and graphic poems• Concrete poems

• Indie poems often exhibit a conversational tone

INDIE POETRY

• The writing styles of these artists are unconventional and casual, and their word choice unexpected and unusual as they present something tangible and overall, very relative to the reader.

• Their poetry falls somewhere between lyrical and narrative, but also creates an understandable dialogue and willingness to identify with the reader.

ASSOCIATED TEXTS

• Balling, Rich. Revolution On Canvas: Poetry from The Indie Music Scene. Grand Central Publishing, 2009.

• Perloff, Marjorie and Craig Dworkin. The Sound of Poetry/The Poetry of Sound. University of

Chicago Press, 2009.• Tenzer, Michael. Analytical Studies in World Musics.

Oxford University Press USA, 2006.