What does a poet look like? Donning a yellow t-shirt with a graphic design, tattoos up and down his arms, regular jeans, a gold watch, a gold “M” necklace, and a fresh pair of sneakers, Marc Marcel hones “urban swagger.” His hazel green eyes penetrate the crowd, while his tall stature demands their attention.   Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, Marcel has grown from writing raps in class, to becoming an internationally renowned poet.

North Point’s first annual Poetry Slam, prepared by Mr. Hoffman’s English classes, had the special privilege of having Marcel host and perform at the event. “I was out in Vegas when I saw Marc perform,” recalls Mr. Hoffman. “I just loved his poetry. The emotion, the delivery; he has a natural fluidity. His hand gestures and body language just flows.”

Marcel’s unique style has even earned him a performance at Obama’s inauguration as well as touring the globe for the majority of the year.

On the balls of his feet, clutching the microphone stand, his arms move with fluid motion.  “If you trust in God, then you know that money ain’t worth [explicative] anyways,” he insists, on his final performance of the night.  While parents applauded the imparted wisdom, students let the words sink in.

“It’s important for kids to learn about poetry,” Marcel explains. “Poetry is a form of art. Art is an expression. An outlet.” Marcel utilizes poetry’s outlet function defiantly. After asking the students about their preferences on rap, he stated his disgust with it. “I don’t really like rap. I call it crap music.” Marcel then went on to list Jeff Buckley, John Lennon, and Miles Davis as music artists he appreciates.  “Rap is like playing Nintendo,” stated Marcel, referring to the backwardness of rap’s reoccurring themes, such as materialism, gangster status, and sex.

When asked about the students’ performances, Marcel was thoroughly impressed. “The words that they are saying show that they have lived and have dissected life. I’m listening more to the words then judging their performances.” The respect was mutual, as students approached Marcel during the intermission and long after the poetry slam. Marcel was bombarded with compliments, as well as requests for photos and autographs.

Marcel embodies how powerful poetry can be –They can take their poem and break the barrier of stage mics.