Recently, whenever I scroll through TikTok and Instagram, there seems to be an explosion of poetry. As a poetry lover, I can’t help but stop. Most of the time, however, I can’t help but feel disappointed by what I’m reading.
On one hand, I think it’s awesome that poetry is starting to become popular on social media. These platforms finally give a voice to folks who might not have otherwise had the chance to share their work with such wide audiences. Poetry is reaching completely new communities that traditional methods never could. Without having to submit poetry to a magazine or publisher, a person can now communicate their deepest thoughts and potentially resonate powerfully with thousands of people around the globe.
At the same time, though, some of the poems I’ve seen don’t quite seem like what I typically consider poetry. Most are very brief, sometimes just one line or a plain statement formatted like a stanza. And they usually focus on relatable emotions or everyday experiences, which is great, but sometimes they seem to lack the imagery, craft, and depth I associate with true poetry. I would quote some of these poems, but I don’t want to look as though I’m targeting or bullying anyone. Instead, I would like to focus on the overall trends that I am noticing with GenZ poetry.
I also catch myself thinking that maybe tastes have evolved since my formative years took shape. Perhaps what really resonates today is different than what connected with past generations. We take in information at warp speed in this modern age, so possibly bite-sized creative expressions suit our fast-paced lifestyles better. Maybe poetry doesn’t need to follow old conventions to still mean something.
I may be clinging too rigidly to outdated notions of what poetry demands. After all, art naturally shifts over time as each new generation puts their own spin on it. These social media poems might simply be opening the door for more self-expression and human connection. They could even serve as a starting point for some to explore richer poetic works.
In the end, I think it’s important to appreciate both the positives as well as limitations of this trend. There’s value in all forms of creativity, even if they defy tradition. Maybe the healthiest approach is keeping an open mind and continuing to experience poetry in both new and old forms alike. That way we can truly gain from the full spectrum it offers in our digital world.
