Is The Age of Poetry Dead?

As we experience cultural shifts with a focus on social media, art forms, such as poetry, have begun to see a decline in popularity as its contemplative nature is lost in the fast-paced nature of industrialism, begging the question – is poetry necessary?  

Over time, poetry, like every other art form, has adapted. What was once contemplations of humanism and beauty during the Renaissance, has now transformed into something dubbed as “Instagram Poetry” as poets, like Rupi Kaur, author of Milk and Honey (a poetry book on womanhood, sexuality and love), and Amanda Lovelace, author of the princess saves herself in this one (a collection of resilience, loss and fairytale), grow in popularity across social media platforms like Tumblr, Instagram and TikTok. The question is, is this new age of bite-sized poetry the destruction of “real” poetry?  

The insurgence of Instagram poets, on one hand, can be seen as an easy solution to fame in the writing community because it is becoming increasingly easy to share and publish a few words and label it as poetry. However, we can spin this new era for the better as the introduction of a new, simplistic form of poetry for Gen Z and younger has led to larger audiences, finally getting people to talk about poetry once again. Poetry is subjective, and so while some traditionalist critics may be apprehensive of its rise in the publishing world due to its directness and lack of image, others may view this growing sub-genre as the answer to saving poetry.  

According to Wikipedia, “poetry is a form of literary art that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meanings” - does Instagram poetry, generally, fit these criteria? In short, yes and no. Whilst growing genres, like Instagram Poetry defy traditional conventions defining poetry, it still serves as an emotional tether to the world around us in its rawest sense, reflecting culture, growth, and the ever-evolving nature of humanism. For example, the words of William Wordsworth are praised for his spiritual speculations and outlook on the relationship between humans and nature as the “poet of humanity”.  

And so, instead of seeing this new age as the death of poetry, perhaps, it is simply being reborn to fit the ever-changing world around us. 

IMAGE: https://unsplash.com/photos/black-and-silver-fountain-pen-hjwKMkehBco