Poetry has always been one of my favorite forms of writing. It’s a great outlet for releasing your energy into the world, whether that be sadness, joy, fear, hope, anger or whatever emotion it is that you’re feeling. Poetry has recently grown in popularity on social media, especially on Instagram. Many women have gained extensive followings which have given them a platform to voice their struggles and experiences and bring light to many issues that have been ignored in the past. They discuss matters dealing with the struggle of being a woman, the good and the ugly side of love and relationships, and returning to peace of mind following trauma or deep loss, just to name a few. Their words of empowerment have helped and continue to help countless women all over the world, including myself, to remember that they’re not alone in their plight. Here are 6 female poets on Instagram that you should check out ASAP!
- Rupi Kaur
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Rupi Kaur writes about the numerous facets of love in her debut poetry book, Milk and Honey. It’s structured into four acts —”The Hurting,” “The Loving,” “The Breaking,” and “The Healing” — which venture through past traumas, discrimination, relationships, heartbreak, pain and the aftermath of all of that. Her free-form poems are paired with quick sketches that further evoke the emotion expressed through her rather simply-constructed words. She’s also released a sequel called, The Sun and Her Flowers, which continues her theme of growth, healing and honoring one’s roots.
- Amanda Lovelace
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Lovelace’s debut work, The Princess Saves Herself in this One, is about empowerment, self-acceptance, self-love and resilience. Her poems are a reminder that no one can define what it means to be a woman because you can’t put every female into one box. She has since released two more books, The Witch Doesn’t Burn in this One and The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in this One, which continue her message of fighting the patriarchy and remaining strong in the face of opposition.
- Komal Kapoor
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Kapoor is a more recent Insta-poet who released her debut book, Unfollowing You, a few months ago. It has two parts, “Following You” and “Unfollowing You,” that both illustrate two people falling in love and the heartbreak that ensues. Her words resound strongly with current youth because they depict a modern love story that incorporates technological realities like flirting through texts, screenshots, unsent messages and “swipe culture.” She teaches her readers how to deal with feelings, especially pain, and to accept and indulge in the growth that stems from it.
- Caroline Kaufman
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Kaufman is a sophomore at Harvard and she released her book of poems, Light Filters In, last spring. She writes a lot about losing herself in someone who couldn’t and never would be able to see her worth and how that affected her image of herself. Her poems also reflect themes of not fitting in, searching for happiness, finding yourself and eventually coming to peace with who you are.
- Trista Mateer
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Mateer’s first book, Honeybee, portrays the art of letting go. She describes the passion and intensity of falling in love with someone for the first time just to have them break your heart. Honeybee explores the struggle of finding how to let someone go, which usually includes revisiting old wounds and memories, but she does so in a painful yet tender way. She followed this book with The Dogs I Have Kissed, which deals with pain and heartache but with more religious overtones, and is expecting to release her latest work, Aphrodite Made Me Do It, this coming October.
- Nikita Gill
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Nikita Gill’s debut publication, Your Soul Is a River, deals with the experience of trauma, how it can affect a person, and eventually finding your way back to yourself. She has also written Wild Embers: Poems of Rebellion, Fire, and Beauty, which emphasizes femininity, empowerment, healing, growth and self-love.
All of these female poets choose to share their personal experiences online as a way to help women around the world who might feel like they have no voice and are lost in their struggle. These powerful women remind other women that they too are powerful and are a force to be reckoned with.