Closing Time: Using Spoken Word Techniques to Create a Powerful Ending

When a poet steps away from the microphone there is a moment where every breath is held and every jaw dropped. The power is palpable. You may find yourself asking, how did they do that? What writing techniques do performance poets use to pack such a punch at the end of their work? From effective final lines to structure subversion, spoken word artists have found multiple ways to leave audiences stunned.

You may be a master at hooking your audience, a poet who can capture passion and pain, even a talented storyteller, but if you cannot finish strong your audience will walk away with your poem already fading. A powerful ending is how you keep that poem alive for days, weeks, and years to come.

This workshop, designed for novice and experienced poets, will focus on ending a poem by examining the spoken word artists who have found a way to capture the attention of millions of viewers online. The artists include names such as Neil Hilborn, Javon Johnson, Sabrina Benaim, Blythe Bard, and many others.

Instructor

Caleb “The Negro Artist” Rainey is an author, performer, and producer. His debut book, Look, Black Boy, was awarded first prize in the North Street Book Prize, and his second book, Heart Notes was published in 2019. He released two spoken word albums and in 2023, as a part of the Brucemore Artisan in Studio program, Caleb produced his first short film, Willing to Grow. He is the winner of several slams across the United States, and competed in the 2023 UNESCO Slam-0-Vision global poetry slam where he ranked 7th worldwide. He has shared the stage with spoken word titans such as Siaara Freeman, Denice Frohman, Javon Johnson, Ebony Stewart, Anthony McPherson, Danez Smith and Patricia Smith, and videos of his performances can be found on his YouTube channel, Write About Now, and Button Poetry.