In recent years, poetry has stepped out of the classics and classroom and into the realms of Instagram and Pinterest. Many young poets have been able to extend their online success into paperback and published successful collections. These poems have reached the hearts and minds of the masses and been photographed, shared, and liked with repeated appreciation. It only takes a quick Insta search to come across these poems, but I’m going to cut your work short and share some of the most prominent poets in pop culture.
Rupi Kaur
It should be no surprise that Rupi Kaur is at the top of the list. Her two books, Milk and Honey and The Sun and Her Flowers, are New York Times bestsellers, and she’s currently on an American book tour. Her poems flood both Instagram and Pinterest and show no sign of losing popularity anytime soon. She currently has 3.1 million Instagram followers and her popularity shows no sign of slowing.
Her poems can be described as “bite-sized” as they very rarely exceed a page by even a few lines. They broach a variety of relevant topics, such as feminism, heartbreak, mental health, and culture.
Atticus
This poet has written two intensely popular books, but interestingly enough, no one has seen his face. He’s not quite Banksy, but he keeps his identity completely under wraps. When he had his first public reading in July 2017, he wore a mask to cover his face.
Atticus’ poetry is short and sweet, mostly revolving around romance. If you love love and all of the messy, beautiful, and gritty bits that go along with it, open his books or give him a search.
Nikita Gill
Nikita Gill first started posting her poetry on Tumblr and later moved to Instagram. Since then, she has published three collections and gained 467K followers on Instagram. Her poems have been shared by Khloé Kardashian and other celebrities.
Gill’s poems range in duration, with some being short like the one above and others doubling and tripling this in length. Her poetry centres around empowerment and pulls from her past experiences. I would suggest Gill’s poetry to those needing to be reminded of their power and what they can accomplish through struggle.
Amanda Lovelace
Amanda Lovelace may have a smaller Instagram following (55.6K) than those preceding her in this list, but her books are being pumped out hot off the press. She has five books in total, including those set to come out in the next year, all of which have been highly anticipated by her fans.
Her poetry matches the themes of many of the poets above. Empowerment, love, and heartbreak grace the pages of her books and Instagram. I suggest delving into Amanda Lovelace’s poetry if you are looking for something easy to read that will leave you feeling more powerful than before.
r.h. Sin
r.h. Sin, or Reuben Holmes, has a significant Instagram following of 1.3 million and his books are piling up in shops rapidly. His poems are typically short, but every once in a while, a long piece reaches the masses.
He has described his poetry as the things he wants to say to his sister, mother, or women he wants to protect. His work is true feminist testimony presented from a refreshing male perspective. His poetry is best read when in emotional turmoil: perhaps after a breakup, or if you need to remember how important change is.