Spoken word poetry serves as an avenue for political commentary and social discourse, a poet said.
According to award-winning spoken word poetry artist Hannah Adtoon Leceña, this form of oral poetry often springs from experiences of struggle and inequality in society.
“Maaaring magamit ang spoken word bilang channel o vessel ng mensahe; ito ay parang portal na nagbubukas ng mga conversation o diskurso,” Leceña said in a seminar.
Leceña recalled writing a piece dedicated to her friend who died in the 2016 bombing in Davao, noting the grief that fueled her performance.
“Naririyan lagi ang entablado upang maging lunan, upang magkuwento kontra korupsiyon o diskriminasyon, o sa simpleng pagbabahagi ng pag-asa, ng mabubuting salita na maaaring sumagip ng buhay,” she told the Varsitarian.
Citing how pre-colonial Philippine literature was rooted in oral tradition, Leceña said performance poetry is an act of preserving cultural identity.
It becomes more impactful when elicited from shared experiences that reflect the strength of collective expression among Filipinos, she said.
“Sa ating kasaysayan, ilang beses na nating napatunayan na mas malakas ang sigaw at palahaw kung ito ay kolektibo, sama-sama at nagkakaisa,” she added.
Leceña is a creative writing teacher at the Philippine High School for the Arts, who has received awards from the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards and the Jimmy Balacuit Literary Awards.
She performed at Performatura for the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Free the Word at the Conference of PEN Philippines at Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez.
“Spoken Word (Poetry) bilang umuusbong na Panitikang Pasalita” marked the last installment of the “Authors on Demand Series” organized by the UST Department of Creative Writing on March 13. Charlize Ann D. Lavastida
