Slam Poetry Analysis

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Van dyk (2015: 2) argues that “The term slam poetry is the name given to spoken word poetry that conforms to the rules of slam poetry, must notably, the three minute time limit”. In South Africa slam poetry has become a well-known culture especially in the youth, they believe it to be a way of letting their voice be heard about the issues that affect our society. Various poets have made huge contributions in moving slam poetry forward and these poets include Lebo Mashile, Mak Manana, Flo Makale Sbonelo Mbatha and Thabiso ‘Afurakan’ Mohare who I will be writing about and he is also the founder of the underground poetry in Johannesburg known as Word N sound which is the reason why I chose to write about him.

Biography of Thabiso Afarakum …show more content…

He studied at the University of Johannesburg. He is an award winning TTL copywriter (promax BDA 2012 and 2013), arts project manager, corporate communications and media strategist, spoken word artist, art entrepreneur and a youth activist. He is currently employed as Head of Brand & Marketing at Bozza. He also Specialize in small business management, social media policy strategy and planning, creative solutions development, proposal and negotiation; campaign media and PR strategy creation; digital content distribution, arts project management.
He has experience on various broadcast and commercial brands and companies- British Council Connect ZA, Channel O, SABC 1, SABC 2, SABC 3, SABC Sport, Discovery Holdings, Standard Bank, Vodacom, Thebe Exhibitions, Lonely Road Foundation, EST-1912, Movie Security, Khenda Marketing, ABE (Malawi) www.linkedin.com An ordinary man
By
Thabiso Aforakum Mohare
In the end he died an ordinary man
Only rich in wrinkles from where the spirit has been
It would be saddest days
And we watched the world weep
For a giant bigger than myths
A life owned by many
Now free as the gods.

Some cried as though tomorrow was lost
Some celebrated, questioned freedom at its …show more content…

In stanza one, the poet uses the phrase “rich in wrinkles” to emphasize that he died an old man. He also calls him “a giant bigger than myths” because his victory is extraordinary it is bigger than other stories that happened in the past and even those that happen in the present life.
In stanza 2, he narrates how people cried for him which was not only South Africans but people from different countries as well.
Mohare also uses the phrase “stadiums were littered” to emphasize how people attended his funeral, thousands of people attended. Though Nelson Mandela had died, his legacy will live on through us who witnessed his struggles and that the next generation will read about his fights for freedom.
Mr Mandela was a well-known, loved by many and rich but when death comes it does not care who you are, you will die like everybody else. There will be nothing glorious about your death.

From the themes that he writes about, this poem falls under the theme “Stories of victories”. BODY OF WORK

Through his writings he echoes the new voice of South African literature and oral arts and tells stories of victories and challenges that faces this young and vibrant nation, women and child abuse, xenophobia, self-empowerment and everyday stories of the world around

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