Discusses the literary and poetic dimensions of rap and hip-hop music, describing the shared elements of rap and poetry--imagery, texture, flow, and more--and analyzing several examples of works from various artists.
Mass LEAP Collective (LEAP = Literary Education and Performance), a program of the Massachusetts Poetry Outreach Project, is dedicated to building and supporting spaces for youth to experience the transformative power of their own voices in community with one another. We exist as a platform for youth, artist-educators and organizers to foster positive youth development through spoken word poetry forums, facilitate arts learning spaces, and build relationships among communities throughout Massachusetts.
MassPoetry.org is a new program to connect poets and poetry with larger audiences. The project grew out of roundtables with poets in every part of the state to explore that condition of poetry in Massachusetts. Those roundtables were a collaborative effort between MassPoetry.org, the Mass Cultural Council and MassHumanities.
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with U.S. state arts agencies to support Poetry Out Loud, a contest that encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.