who/what/when by Ellen McSweeney

In this video, seventeen-year-old poet Nate Marshall reads his poem, “Lebron James,” before a live audience at Louder Than a Bomb. This month-long poetry festival, organized by Young Chicago Authors, brings together students from 120 high schools to share their poetry and compete onstage.

The poem

Nate Marshall begins his poem by declaring: “I am Lebron James … … ‘s greatest fan.” From the very first line, we can see that Marshall will be using humor and timing to surprise and entertain his audience, playing with their expectations. His poem is about our culture’s worship of basketball players, all the kids who aren't any good at basketball, and Marshall’s vision for himself as a man who might become famous for a different reason (“the first spoken-word brother with a shoe deal.”)

In the beginning, Marshall uses self-deprecating humor and pop culture references to empathize with his un-athletic brethren, and articulate his dream of becoming a superstar poet. As the poem progresses, it begins to soar emotionally, with Marshall envisioning his “literary wing span” expanding. He imagines himself as “the head coach of a dream team fighting hypocrisy.”

The performance

Nate’s performance is lively and committed. He has the entire three-minute poem memorized, which allows him to connect with his audience through gestures, eye contact, facial expressions, and comedic timing. He varies the speed and rhythm of his lines, sometimes pausing for dramatic effect, sometimes speaking quickly and allowing the words to pile up. This makes his performance feel musical and exciting. I especially appreciated his willingness to make fun of himself, and to appear vulnerable by admitting his own weaknesses and failures.

The takeaway

Marshall’s passionate performance, skillful metaphors, and inspiring vision make this poem a success. He offers insight into our culture’s obsession with athletic success, and offers a new way to value the abilities of young people. I hope he continues to pour his talent and energy into spoken word poetry. This video leaves me wanting to see more from this author, and hoping that I can catch the Louder Than a Bomb festival next year.

Who/What/When by Jamal Price

A poet by the name of Nate Marshall reads a poem about LeBron James at a festival called Louder Than a Bomb.

The Poem

The poem isn’t really about LeBron James, it's actually about Nate being cut from a basketball team, and how he will now become a famous poet. He also hopes to be the first poet with a shoe deal. He gives examples of scoring triple doubles with his poems. He talks about other people who want to be like the famous, superstar players, but who are either too short, or just can’t shoot. The poet wants to lead these people in a fight against hypocrisy. He wants to be like FDR and cut a new deal.

The Performance

The way Nate begins the poem is really funny. He says I am LeBron Jamessssss’ biggest fan. You think he’s just going to say that he’s Lebron, but he doesn’t. He makes a bunch of jokes and funny faces while he recites the poem. He also sings a little bit of the I Wanna Be Like Mike song, and the face he makes while he is singing is hilarious.

There are also times when he is very serious, and you can tell because his face looks sad or angry. When he talks about his wings stretching from one person to another, you can tell he really means it.

The Takeaway

I liked this poem very much. I felt as though Nate was making a point about not letting other people’s opinion of you hold you back. Sometimes, you’re not always successful at one thing, but there are always other things you can do. I also think know that there are some basketball players who are not very tall, but still play well and score a lot of points, but I get what the poet was trying to say.

Who/What/When by Ciera McKissick

Poet, Educator, and Activist, Nate Marshall, performed a poem entitled “Lebron James” in 2011 at Louder Than A Bomb, the largest youth poetry festival in the world featuring over 120 Chicago high schools.

The Poem

The poem bounces between poetry and basketball metaphors to describe Marshall’s evolution from a basketball player cut from his high school team to a star poetry slammer, using LeBron James as his muse and to make a point about stardom. The poem weaves in basketball jargon, plays with cultural references, and fuels his feelings of inadequacy in one field into the passion of another. There is an underlying bittersweet tone to this poem. The bitterness being that he slightly undercuts his teammates for cutting him, and alludes to their skills on the court, saying in so many words that not all those who play, play well and deserve the limelight. While all of this may be true, one thing that is highlighted in this piece is that if he had not been cut from the team, he may have never discovered his true love, poetry.

The Performance

The performance is light and playful, and you can really get a sense of Marshall’s humor tactics as a coping mechanism. He begins by announcing to the crowd that he is LeBron James, holding the “s” so it is perceived in a particular manner before saying “biggest fan.” This got some laughs from the crowd and set the tone for the rest of the poem, which was a bit reflective, yet boastful. His delivery was smooth and steady, emphasizing certain phrases and words to deliver a bigger punch to particular lines.

The Takeaway

This piece was enjoyable to listen to and analyze. It was very Chicago, as basketball is sort of an entity in the city because of Michael Jordan. The writing and delivery was sophisticated for a 17 year old, and highlights the hard work and dedication that these students put into their work. This is that same passion that will surely take Marshall to the next level, and get him that much closer to the book deal of athletic shoe deals.