The rise of ‘Insta poets’—writers who craft bite-sized, emotionally charged verses for the digital age—has completely shaken up the literary world. Depending on who you ask, this shift is either a renaissance or a literary crisis.
Leading the charge is Rupi Kaur, the undeniable queen of Instagram poetry, with 4.3 million Instagram followers hanging onto her every word. Alongside her, poets like Morgan Harper Nichols, Alison Malee, and Hollie McNish have built massive audiences, proving that poetry is far from a dying art form—it’s just been reformatted for the scroll-happy generation.
But here’s where things get complicated. While many celebrate this movement for making poetry more accessible and inclusive, others argue that it waters down the art form, replacing depth with digestibility. Has Instagram truly revived poetry, or has it turned it into yet another casualty of capitalism? Let’s dive in.
Can Anyone Write Poetry?
Absolutely! Poetry, in its most basic form, is an expression of thought, feeling, and experience, and I believe everyone should try it. But that doesn’t mean every poem is created equal or that all poems deserve a public platform. It’s hard to make sweeping statements about such a subjective art form, yet there are objective criteria that distinguish great poetry from underdeveloped pieces. Quality poetry involves more than just stringing words together, it’s about content, manipulation of language, and structure. Many Insta poets, while emotionally resonant, often fall short of these criteria. As someone who spends a great deal of time reading and writing poetry, I feel disheartened that master poets, who have dedicated their lives to studying the craft, might be overlooked in favor of simpler, more marketable works. It’s one thing to write poetry; it’s another to manipulate language in a meaningful and innovative way.
The Role of Insta Poetry
That said, I don’t dismiss Insta poetry entirely. For one, I appreciate how it can serve as a gateway to more complex poetic forms. For many, Insta poetry is where their journey begins. While some may stop there, others are likely to be inspired to explore deeper works, using Instagram as an entry point into the broader literary world. Personally, I enjoy this short, simple poetry in my social media feeds. I often screenshot posts to share with friends or save them for inspiration as a jumping-off point for my own writing. But do I consider these poems “true poetry”? There’s a poetic nature to these works, but classifying them as poetry in the traditional sense feels like a disservice to the greats who shaped the art form.
The Marketability of Poetry
In a phone conversation with HuffPost, poet Collin Yost shares his opinion: “We live in a current culture of doodle poems and one-to-four-liners. We must get back to roots and feelings and fire.” Yet, despite his criticism, Yost ended up shifting his work to fit this style, admitting, “Posting these pieces will gain attention and traction—it will inevitably lead to more likes, followers, and discussion.” His shift boosted his popularity, reflecting a broader cultural trend that prioritizes accessibility and marketability. In the age of social media, poetry has become a highly shareable product, optimized for virality and engagement metrics. But this shift isn’t just happening on Instagram, it’s happening in the publishing world too. The same forces that drive social media content are now shaping the kinds of books being published, leading to the prioritization of marketability over depth and complexity. The art of poetry, like many other creative industries, is becoming increasingly homogenized, with publishers seeking what’s already proven to sell rather than taking risks on fresh, innovative work.
The Decline of Intellectual Challenge
Ultimately, this phenomenon raises an important question: Have we, as a culture, lost our desire for intellectual challenge? Social media poetry resonates with many people, myself included, but my fear? That the reader is dying, morphing instead into simply a viewer. We must be cautious not to let the ease of scrolling replace the intellectual engagement that has always been at the heart of poetry.