In the Body We Trust: The Poetry of Truth-Telling

My thesis focuses on the triangulation of voice, language and body in Slam Poetry. It argues that such a triangulation forms the core of this specific poetic practice and explores how bodily gestures, vocal inflections, spatial dynamics and speech acts in Slam Poetry performances extend well beyond the mere construction of meaning, resulting in a form of artistic expression implicated in political activism and social change. The first chapter applies Michel Foucault’s concept of parrhesia to Slam Poetry, examining how the traditional role of the parrhesiast, the figure of the truth-teller in society, is reimagined in the figure of the slam poet and brought to life during Poetry Slam performances with a modern reinterpretation including two central elements into the social arena: the bodily presence of the poet and the audience. Discussion goes on in the second chapter which delves into the historical roots of Slam Poetry, tracing its evolution through the influences of rap and hip-hop culture, the Beats Generation, the Black Arts Movement, the Black Mountain College and digital platforms like YouTube and Button Poetry. Finally, the third chapter focuses on contemporary slam poet Andrea Gibson, analyzing their work through the lenses of Foucauldian parrhesia, Judith Butler’s theory of performativity and a comparison with Adrienne Rich’s poetry rooted in truth-telling, building on Mitrano’s lecture “Adrienne Rich and Audre Lorde”, part of Language and America from Jonathan Edwards to Judith Butler (2020-2021). The thesis demonstrates how essential the elements of the body and the voice are in the rise of Slam Poetry as their presence empowers and validates the poetic message which does not stop at the individual personal expression but leads to action at the community level, inspiring social activism through a constant flow of dialogue, contamination, direct contact and live exchange of opinions and emotions among the members of an ever-changing community.