Should Insta-poetry be considered Literature?
In December, Rupi Kaur’s new publication “Home Body” debuted at #1 on the New York Times paperback bestsellers list, The Sunday Times, and The Toronto Star. Her success evidently displays the rise of a new wave in the literary world — Insta-poetry. With this new form of poetry reaching mainstream success through the assistance of social media, here comes the million-dollar question: Should these rising works be considered as literature?
Insta-poetry, which emerged as a result of social media, is defined as an adaptation of poetry into an Internet subgenre. What gave rise to its popularity, you ask? Perhaps it is because of how remarkably relatable it is to the modern audience. Instead of intimidating audiences through convoluted language and intricate metaphors commonly found in traditional poetry, Instapoetry uses simple, everyday language that allows for easily extractable and straightforward messages. This caters to the modern practice of efficiency while emphasizing authenticity within the chaotic reality of life. As a plus, Instapoets comment on social issues highly relevant to modern society, such as sexual assault, racism, and self-love. This intrigues modern readers. In addition, Instagram provides an accessible and interactive platform that allows people to read, comment, like, and share information quickly and easily. These functions help spread Insta-poetry like wildfire, effectively reaching millions of people around the globe and further contributing to its fast-growing popularity and acceptance among millennials.
Insta-poetry has sparked debate within the literary realm ever since its breakthrough into publication houses. Literary critics heavily criticised Instapoets for their “lazy writing.” In the poetry journal PN Review, poet Rebecca Watts argues that poetry is “redefined as a ‘short-form communication’” that promotes “consumer-driven content and ‘instant gratification’.” With the new Instagram aesthetic being a hot drink alongside a page from milk and honey by Rupi Kaur, it is not hard to see where Watts is coming from.
As much as Instapoets tend to use metaphorical language with heavy imagery, critics argue that it may be accurate to simply classify them as an “aesthetic” rather than true literature. In some ways, this assists Instapoets in promoting their brands through social media. Take, for example, home body by Rupi Kaur and the princess saves herself in this one by Amanda Lovelace. What we normally label as statements or Tumblr/Pinterest quotes are suddenly praised as revolutionary “poetry” - just because they are written by these Instapoets. Soraya Roberts argues in the Baffler, “It is not art, it is a good to be sold.” This statement was accompanied by refusals from Instapoets themselves, as Robert Macias bluntly states, “I would never consider these poems. I am not a poet.”
To test whether Insta-poetry requires genuine talent or is purely based on pretentious writing, creator Andrew Lloyd started a poetry account (@ravenstarespoetry) on Instagram and recorded his 4-week progress on Vice UK. Even though he deliberately made his products as “the kind of drivel that would get you kicked out of Year Five for not trying hard enough,” he “woke up every day to a fresh batch of likes, comments, and followers,” even receiving intense DMs from readers who connected to his “poems” on a genuine level. @Atticuspoetry, an Instapoet with 1.2 million followers and a best-selling collection of his own, even complimented them as “amazing work x.” Lloyd then concluded, “It's true a lot of people are masquerading as talented – it turns out this stuff is easy to fake – but that doesn't mean the reaction of the readers isn't real and valid.”
Poetry experts, on the other hand, claim that these Instapoets have given birth to a new, modern form of poetry characterized by pithy lowercase sentences, frequent line breaks, and complimentary doodles, revolutionizing modern readers’ perceptions of poetry. Judith Palmer, director of the Poetry Society, explains that “(Insta-poetry) is not really about complex language, it is more about easily translatable universal emotions." In support, Dr. Eleanor Spencer-Regan, digital director of the Institute of Poetry and Poetics at Durham University, points out that Instapoets have succeeded at increasing diversity in a literary form that is traditionally perceived as one dominated by the “stale, pale male.” According to Palmer, these Instapoets fight elitism and the conventional, entrapping criterion of poetry that limits voices and people of creation: “What we’re seeing is contemporary life reflected and that is the big appeal. People have for too long had this idea that poetry is a small world, and that poetry is one thing. This is an unnecessary narrowing.”
But of course, to question a piece’s classification reminds us of the evergreen challenge of defining literature – there is no black-and-white distinction. As the acclaimed AE Housman admitted, “I could no more define poetry than a terrier could define a rat.” In face of criticism, Kaur expresses the blurred line between traditional and modern poetry: “We have a form of art that is highly, highly traditional – meaning poetry – and then you have this other thing which is new and quite non-traditional, which is, of course, social media. And so the gatekeepers of these two things are kind of confused at this moment.”
Undeniably, Insta-poetry brings people of different backgrounds, cultures, and ages together and inspires them to indulge in creative outlets of their own. While you may not necessarily relate to or agree with this emerging art form, its influence on modern society must not be ignored. If we were to define poetry as literature arranged for its meaning, sound, and rhythm, most Insta-poetry will be ridiculed as a form of poetry. If we were to define poetry as a form that evokes a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience or a specific emotional response, then Insta-poetry truly deserves this title, seeing how well it resonates with modern readers. Ultimately, it is up to you to decide.
Sources:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/zmjmj3/instagram-poetry-become-successful-scam
https://mashable.com/article/instagram-poetry-democratise-genre/?europe=true