--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you are writing a spoken word poem…" description: "\"When you are writing a spoken word poem, the tools you're working with are your voice, your body, how it's going to sound to someone when you're saying..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c0/phil-kay-71752_body_when-you-are-writing-a-spoken-word-poem_3037342.jpg" --- # When you are writing a spoken word poem, the tools you're… ![“When you are writing a spoken word poem, the tools you're working with are your voice, your body, how it's going to sound to someone when you're saying it out loud. Which is different from when you're writing it on the page. That toolbox becomes how does this look visually on the page, how does…” quote by Phil Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c0/phil-kay-71752_body_when-you-are-writing-a-spoken-word-poem_3037342.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c0/phil-kay-71752_body_when-you-are-writing-a-spoken-word-poem_3037342.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c0/phil-kay-71752_body_when-you-are-writing-a-spoken-word-poem_3037342.jpg) > “When you are writing a spoken word poem, the tools you're working with are your voice, your body, how it's going to sound to someone when you're saying it out loud. Which is different from when you're writing it on the page. That toolbox becomes how does this look visually on the page, how does this read among pages, how is this in relation to poems that are before it or after it. I don't think one is better or more successful than the other. You've just gotta think about "what are the tools I'm using, and how are they most effective in this form?"” Phil Kay ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He explains that creating spoken word poetry requires different tools—voice, body, sound—compared to writing on a page, and each form demands its own effective techniques. **In simple terms:** Different mediums need different tools and strategies. Key Takeaway Adapt tools to the medium for best impact. Themes creativity expression medium technique Mood reflective analytical Type instructional inspirational When to use this quote - performing poetry - writing poetry - teaching workshops Key Concepts Artistic adaptation communication theory Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide which medium fits your poem? - What tools enhance your spoken delivery? A Different Perspective Choosing the wrong tool can dilute the message. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Spoken word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spoken-word/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Tools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tools/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [My first spoken word poem, packed with all the wisdom of a 14-year-old, was about the injustice of being seen as unfeminine. The poem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/my-first-spoken-word-poem-packed-with-all-the-wisdom-of-a-14-year-old/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [The first spoken word poem I ever wrote was when I was 14 and I wrote it because I was accidentally signed up for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/the-first-spoken-word-poem-i-ever-wrote-was-when-i-was-14-and-i-wrote/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [I've been writing since I was very young, even before I was a teenager. As far as I'm concerned, I am a writer -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/i-ve-been-writing-since-i-was-very-young-even-before-i-was-a-teenager/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [I've always been a writer. I've always done writing or spoken-word, hip-hop stuff with my friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/i-ve-always-been-a-writer-i-ve-always-done-writing-or-spoken-word-hip/) [Mat Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-kearney/) > [Every word was once a poem. Every new relation is a new word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/every-word-was-once-a-poem-every-new-relation-is-a-new-word/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The heft of a life in the hands grows both lighter and weightier. Over time, my life has become more saturated with its shape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-hirshfield/the-heft-of-a-life-in-the-hands-grows-both-lighter-and-weightier-over/) [Jane Hirshfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-hirshfield/) > [“Every poet will forever try to write the greatest poem ever written, I have found that this kind of poem can be written with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jones/every-poet-will-forever-try-to-write-the-greatest-poem-ever-written-i/) [Michael Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jones/) > [“One should wait, and gather meaning and sweetness a whole life long, a long life if possible, and then, at the very end, one might perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/one-should-wait-and-gather-meaning-and-sweetness-a-whole-life-long-a/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [It does not need that a poem should be long. 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Wherever solemn inscriptions are put up in public places, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/writing-for-the-page-is-only-one-form-of-writing-for-the-eye-wherever/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) > [I'm trying to read/edit my story as if I have no existing knowledge of the story, no investment in it, no sense of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/i-m-trying-to-read-edit-my-story-as-if-i-have-no-existing-knowledge/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [When I'm writing, it's about the page. It's not about the movie. It's not about cinema. It's about the literature of me putting my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/when-i-m-writing-it-s-about-the-page-it-s-not-about-the-movie-it-s/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [“Writing a page a day doesn't seem like much, but do it for 365 days and you have enough to fill a novel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/writing-a-page-a-day-doesn-t-seem-like-much-but-do-it-for-365-days/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) ## More by Phil Kay > [The first time I ever performed spoken word poetry in front of a big crowd, it totally failed. It ended, people barely clapped...in retrospect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-kay/the-first-time-i-ever-performed-spoken-word-poetry-in-front-of-a-big/) Phil Kay > [I really do think inspiration comes from day-to-day life. I think there's things that pique our interest - not necessarily aha! moments - but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-kay/i-really-do-think-inspiration-comes-from-day-to-day-life-i-think/) Phil Kay > [High school was the first time I ever saw spoken word poetry. The first place I ever performed a poem was at my school,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-kay/high-school-was-the-first-time-i-ever-saw-spoken-word-poetry-the/) Phil Kay Explore all 4 Phil Kay quotes ## More Body quotes > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. 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