There are a million and one ways to really express yourself. One of the rawest ways is expressing yourself with words. Here are seven amazingly talented modern poets, who know just how to express themselves with their words.
1. George Watsky
The first time I listened to performances by Watsky, I fell in love. Here’s why: George Watsky is a rapper, writer and performer, who has a very versatile flow. In 2006 he won the Brave New Voices National Poetry Slam, and later in 2007 made an appearance on the show Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry. Watsky has performed at over 150 universities, all while still being in school at Emerson College, and graduating with a B.A. in Writing and Acting for the Screen and Stage.
Featured Poem: S for Lisp
2. Carlos Andres Gomez
I had the honor of actually meeting this beautiful and amazingly talented man, when CAB invited him to perform for the students of Georgia College, back in September. He is a truly amazing poet and human being. Here’s why he is amazingly talented: Carlos Andrés Gómez is an award winning poet, actor, speaker, and writer. He has also appeared on Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry. In 2015 he was the recipient of the Lucille Clifton Poetry Prize and the Makeda Bliqis Literary Award. He also wrote a book called Man Up: Reimaging Modern Manhood, which talks about how what defines a man today isn’t and shouldn’t be the same, as how a man was defined in years past.
Featured Poem: How to Fight
3. Shane Koyzcan
Shane Koyzcan is probably one of my favorite modern poets of all time. His poems speak the truth one hundred percent of the time and he never fails to deliver. Here is why he is amazingly talented: Shane Koyzcan is a spoken word poet and writer. He is a member of the group Tons of Fun University, which is a group that writes about social issue such as bullying, cancer, death, and eating disorders.
Featured Poem: Instructions for a Bad Day
4. The Poetpuff Girls
These girls have some of the most powerful voices that I have ever heard from a group of people so young. The Poetpuff Girls consist of Belissa, Zariya, and Rhiannon, who all met while they were freshmen in high school. They are all members of the Get Lit players.
Featured Poem: Somewhere in America
5. Sarah Kay
Sarah Kay is one of the founders and co-directors of Project Voice. She too has made an appearance on Russell Simmons presents Def Poetry, in 2006. She graduated from Brown University, and has a Masters in The Art of Teaching, and also an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Grinnell College.
Featured Poem: The Type
6. Phil Kaye
Phil Kaye can often be spotted performing alongside Sarah Kay. He is also one of the co-directors at Project Voice. Kaye is an award winning poet who has shared his words around the world, both performing and teaching.
Featured Poem: Repetiton
7. Prince Ea
Prince Ea is a man who speaks his mind, and doesn’t care who is listening. He has the type of flow that makes you stop and think and say to yourself, “I need to rethink my life”. He often performs and speaks at conferences to high school or college age students about self-development, finding your passion, and the importance of staying motivated.
Featured Poem: Can We Auto-correct Humanity?
I hope these modern poets have showed you that poetry isn’t boring. It’s a creative outlet to fully express yourself; which is something these seven individuals do very well.