Ben Helps Launch a Pilot Spoken Word Poetry Program at OPHS

Photo Credit: Maria Braun

Last week, Ben stopped into Orchard Park High School for a day of workshops-in-class, presenting Speak, Poet: Writing a Spoken Word Poem for AP Seniors in the Creative Writing and English classes.

Throughout the day, students discussed the differences in intention between traditional and spoken word poetry, the two things that are needed in order to overcome the fear of a blank page, and implemented the tools they learned during the workshop.

Students sharing the poems they wrote (or began writing) during the workshop. Photo Credit: Maria Braun.

The pilot program consisted of five classes, each covering spoken word poetry, the tools needed to write a spoken word poem, and the performance tools that young poets can take to the stage to improve their chances of connecting with their audiences.

Photo Credit: Maria Braun

Young writers produced poems covering topics from the very personal to the current pop culture beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake.

Today was awesome! Thanks for spending the work day with me and my students.

– Maria Braun, Creative Writing, English Department, Orchard Park High School

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