List or Slam Poem

A list poem repeats a significant phrase or line throughout the poem. It is generally used in Slam and performance poetry. The use of REPETITION or (REFRAIN) is a poetic device poets and writers use to stress an important idea in a poem. In music this would be the refrain or chorus. It works the same way. Each time the phrase is repeated, it gains strength and stresses the point.

In PROSE (and poetry) writing, a repeated phrase in the beginning of a sentence is called an anaphora. At the end of the phrase or sentence it is called: epistrophe. And when it is used at the end and then again at the beginning of a sentence it is called anadiplosis.

Click on the links above for examples of these forms and what they look like. At this point you may begin using anaphora, epistrophe, and anadiplosis in your writing, along with metaphor, simile, personification and chemomorphism.

Here are some sample poems that are list or slam poems:
classic examples

We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks

What Teacher's Make by Taylor Mali
I'll Fight You for the Library by Taylor Mali
Kill Them With Love by Boonaa Mohammad

LAB WORK: Choose a line. Any line. Use this line as an anchor, a repetition of idea or theme.

Some sample lines might be:

• I believe...
• When I die, I want...
• The world I live in...
• This is for...
• Tomorrow I will go...
• I am...

or pick any other line starter you'd like.

Use metaphor or simile or chremomorphism or personification, anaphora, epistrophe, anadiplosis to help explore your theme.