Culture Shift: How Instagram is Creating the Modern Day Poet
Poets are a big part of literary culture, we quote them, site their works, and often feel a kinship with their words. In recent years there has been a resurgence of the popularity of poetry in the form of Instagram Poets. These are people who write short poems usually consisting of 1-4 lines. Their poem is presented in an aesthetic way (typewriter format or along with photos). Instagram poets have redefined poetry and what it means to be a poet in the modern-day. In the vein of R.M. Drake, R.H. Shin, and Samatha King Holmes. Them being some of the most well known. The power of this social platform has given the modern poet the ability to reach wide audiences completely on their own using their talent for imaginative poetic lines. Driving their own sales and inspiring people around the world.
Classic poets such as Robert Frost, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, and Sylvia Plath wrote stanzas some two pages or longer in length. Painting a picture with their words. The intsagram poet instead uses few lines to express as much as these page long poems would. Using social media to reach people classic poets could only dream of. Often dismissed as cliche trend chasers by some I personally feel Instagram poets have found a way to use modern tech to their advantage. They’ve brought poetry back into people’s everyday lives and created a new generation of poets. It has given them the power to make living from their words once again. We see poets such as R.H. Shin with millions of followers and people who read his work every day. Poet Amanda Lovelace’s poetry books have hit the bestsellers list. These people are pioneers in their art. In an age where we devour information then move on to the next thing, Insta poets make us stop and reflect. Their words often resonating in some way in our lives. Atticus a well-known poet writes powerful small poems set in a simple typewriter font against a white background. He allows his words to pull all the focus. In a world saturated by images, we are made to stop and read allowing our minds to form the images we need.
As much as it is an art it is also a form of income. Poets are also entrepreneurs, using their platforms to land publishing deals and live events. Social media allows them to capture the attention of the public and in turn the attention of publishers and event-holders. This gives them the ability to forward their creative work into paying work. Often days can consist of writing, tours, events and even going over marketing with their teams. Merch lines are ways poets supplement their sales as well. From mugs to photo framed quotes and even t-shirts and hoodies. The marketing side is just as much a part of their world as the creative side is. This work has more than paid off.
According to a survey done by the National Endowment For the Arts in 2017 poetry readers had risen dramatically.
In half a decade, the number of U.S. adults who are reading poetry has nearly doubled. That's according to the results of a new survey by the National Endowment for the Arts, which announced Thursday that "as a share of the total U.S. adult population, this poetry readership is the highest on record over a 15-year period. "The Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, a collaboration between the NEA and the Census Bureau, found that 11.7 percent of the U.S. adult population in 2017 — or about 28 million people — had read poetry in the last year. Which admittedly may not seem like much on the surface — until it's compared with the 6.7 percent found during the last survey period, in 2012. To find a comparable interest in poetry, you have to reach back to 2002, when the number of adults reading poetry narrowly cleared the 12 percent threshold. The survey showed sharp increases in readership across the board — but especially among women, minorities and adults with only some college education.
A dying art brought back into the limelight via social media. Something that was once considered boring people now can’t get enough of. This is the power of the written word when combined with platforms such as Instagram. There will people who think it is having a negative impact on “real poetry” but ask yourself what is real poetry. It comes from the heart no matter what and shouldn’t be discredited simply because they’ve managed to make a living off of it. There is nothing wrong with wanting to succeed with your talent. People don’t tell football players they shouldn’t profit from throwing a ball or running a field. Instagram poets are no different they are people who create and share it with others but also want to be able to pay their bills. Oftentimes new trends in literature are looked down on. I’ve said before literature is meant to grow and evolve with the times. It is a core part of our culture. The same goes for poetry. You can appreciate the classics while embracing the new. Be proud of the growth of a genre, smile knowing that new generations will buy a poetry book at Barnes and Noble. That this art is alive and thriving in the digital age. All thanks to the Instagram poet.
Recommended Reading
Rupi Kaur -The Sun and Her Flowers
Amanda Lovelace -The Princess Saves Herself In This One
R.M. Drake -Beautiful And Damned
R.H. Shin and R.M. Drake- Empty Bottles Full Of Stories
R.H. Shin -Whiskey Word And a Shovel (Vol.1)
