Poetry Goes Pop: A Brief Examination of the “Instapoet” Debate
At this point, what hasn’t been influenced by social media?
Not art, not culture, and certainly not poetry. I think we can all agree by now that social media is having a wild impact on people, businesses, politics, and more. It’s only natural that we examine poetry through the lens of social media as well.
Enter: Instapoetry.
Described as both a “gateway drug to literature” and “self-indulgent rubbish aimed at an unevolved readership,” Instapoetry is a sub-genre of poetry written specifically for social media platforms like Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter. Usually, an instapoem is only a few lines long and accompanied by a photograph or drawing. These poems are known for their modern take on modern woes, including social justice issues like immigration, feminism, gun violence, and more — and typically, the style is stripped-down enough that readers can understand the core message of the poem in the time it takes to hit the like button.
By now, you’ve probably encountered the work of Instapoets like Rupi Kaur, Lang Leav, and Tyler Knott Gregson, even if you weren’t sure what it was at the time. Instapoets like these have gone on to achieve international acclaim, multiple book deals, and an almost cult-like following within the poetry community.
