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| One day, I'll perform with a beard like that. |
'Proud of my thighs who unlike the Red Sea
never parted for a man posing as a God'-Alysia Harris-"Joy"
The primary function of any art is to get
one to think. It is upon that basis that I decided to choose this line above
the countless fantastic ones found both in poetry in general and in the poem.
Spoken word poetry is my favorite and primary form of artistic expression. Whether I am watching a performance or writing my own material, I always experience a sort of evolution every time I am exposed to the medium. I have found it to be an immense tool of personal discovery, change and of course, expression. Naturally, that made me biased towards choosing a line from a spoken word poem. Simply following what I loved, I decided to pick one of my favorite spoken word artists, Alysia Harris.
I look up to Alysia not just for her extraordinary artistic talent and worth but for the values she portrays in her works like dignity and self-respect. "Joy" exemplifies all this and so much more about her perfectly. It is not only one of the finest of her works, but one that she deemed before performing as the most important poem she had ever written. As usual with poets or artists in general, she brings out a personal issue (failed relationship) here and speaks about its development. The interesting thing about "Joy" in particular is that the struggle as it is depicted is not only one that we all go through at least at one point but one that we can genuinely take away powerful lessons from. Despite the abundance of powerful lines in the poem, none has impacted me as much as this.
Spoken word poetry is my favorite and primary form of artistic expression. Whether I am watching a performance or writing my own material, I always experience a sort of evolution every time I am exposed to the medium. I have found it to be an immense tool of personal discovery, change and of course, expression. Naturally, that made me biased towards choosing a line from a spoken word poem. Simply following what I loved, I decided to pick one of my favorite spoken word artists, Alysia Harris.
I look up to Alysia not just for her extraordinary artistic talent and worth but for the values she portrays in her works like dignity and self-respect. "Joy" exemplifies all this and so much more about her perfectly. It is not only one of the finest of her works, but one that she deemed before performing as the most important poem she had ever written. As usual with poets or artists in general, she brings out a personal issue (failed relationship) here and speaks about its development. The interesting thing about "Joy" in particular is that the struggle as it is depicted is not only one that we all go through at least at one point but one that we can genuinely take away powerful lessons from. Despite the abundance of powerful lines in the poem, none has impacted me as much as this.
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| Alysia Harris |
Now that the origin and sentimental aspect of the line has been explained, it
is time to explain the significance of it both to the poem and on its own. To
the poem, it is quite simple; it perfectly summarizes the idea behind the poem.
Like megaphones, its words scream out a message of empowerment to any and
everyone who has been through similar situations where they felt their worth
had to be determined by someone they may not have even liked. It is especially
significant to me given how many times I have gone through this struggle and
often still do.
Following suit, the line brings out the universal and crucial values of self-respect and dignity. Here we have a woman who is basically saying that her beliefs will never be compromised even when those who prefer the exact opposite strike at her with the "divine card". The line basically pushes for one to stick to personal ethics and values simply because they are only for you to mold. The poem is essentially about her victory over misery and the illusion that she is not worthy because of a failed relationship. This line along with the two before it represents the culmination and epilogue of that struggle in which it hits her that she does not need any man (or anyone in fact) to be happy and complete. The message in this line proves highly empowering as I continuously go through this struggle. Lines like this in the poem ensure I am reminded of my personal worth and its value without regarding anyone else.
The impact is only enhanced by adding the religious aspect to the whole equation. What is specifically strong here theologically though is that a great distance is put in place between God and the true reality of religion and the age-old question of how much of it has been by impostors like the ones mentioned here and how much of it is true.
Finally, the phrase is highly controversial. I love anything and everything that drives me to think. That is in fact one of the main reasons why I find a perfect niche in spoken word poetry. This line perfectly brings that out as it is not one that is easy on the ears given that such level of religious challenging is not that common in our native countries and is often considered a "terrorist joke"
Despite how short it is, the line has a humongous effect on me. For it coming from one of my favorite spoken word artists, embodying such important themes and striking the controversial, I find it the perfect candidate for such an assignment. There is truly nothing more powerful to me than a strong artistic body that I am personally passionate about.
Following suit, the line brings out the universal and crucial values of self-respect and dignity. Here we have a woman who is basically saying that her beliefs will never be compromised even when those who prefer the exact opposite strike at her with the "divine card". The line basically pushes for one to stick to personal ethics and values simply because they are only for you to mold. The poem is essentially about her victory over misery and the illusion that she is not worthy because of a failed relationship. This line along with the two before it represents the culmination and epilogue of that struggle in which it hits her that she does not need any man (or anyone in fact) to be happy and complete. The message in this line proves highly empowering as I continuously go through this struggle. Lines like this in the poem ensure I am reminded of my personal worth and its value without regarding anyone else.
The impact is only enhanced by adding the religious aspect to the whole equation. What is specifically strong here theologically though is that a great distance is put in place between God and the true reality of religion and the age-old question of how much of it has been by impostors like the ones mentioned here and how much of it is true.
Finally, the phrase is highly controversial. I love anything and everything that drives me to think. That is in fact one of the main reasons why I find a perfect niche in spoken word poetry. This line perfectly brings that out as it is not one that is easy on the ears given that such level of religious challenging is not that common in our native countries and is often considered a "terrorist joke"
Despite how short it is, the line has a humongous effect on me. For it coming from one of my favorite spoken word artists, embodying such important themes and striking the controversial, I find it the perfect candidate for such an assignment. There is truly nothing more powerful to me than a strong artistic body that I am personally passionate about.
Watch her amazing performance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INK9DuI3l7o
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