The type of poetry we learned about in school is outdated. Here is what modern-day poets are creating instead.
Reading poetry has been, for years, considered a sign for intellect. With all the figurative language, hidden meaning and melodic prose, poetry is almost like a road map to some commentary on life, feeling or situations. Modern-day poetry, however, is a different story. In a time where society is hungry for immediacy, poems and poets have had to adapt; we’re seeing the genre flower in short form on social media, songs, intimate bars and even on TikTok.
Although we may have all come across Rupi Kaur, famous for her snappy Gen-z style of poetry which has gone viral on social media, there are not that many names that spring to mind when talking about poetry in a 2022 context. Perhaps you follow some obscure prose which gets published on Instagram or instead prefer going to your local speakeasy to listen to an upcoming poet slamming verses about the pandemic. Whatever shape or form you prefer for your poetry consumption, here’s a list of three amazing people producing equally amazing prose in the 21st century.
Kate Baer – Poems Constructed from Online-Hate
Someone crowned NYT Bestselling author not once, but twice, is sure to attract some kind of popularity on social media. In this day and age, unfortunately, popularity comes with hate, often anonymous and in the form of troll-like messages on socials.
After going viral with her first book, What Kind of Woman, Kate Baer became an internet sensation prone to hate messages of all sorts. And so she did what she knew best; transform the pain into art. Using a technique known as blackout poetry, where selected words are removed and cut out, Kate released yet another book, I Hope This Finds You Well, which has flown off the shelves for its witty, imaginative and thought-provoking commentary on the harsh realities of 21st-century hate.
Whitney Hanson – The TikTok Poet
TikTok is somewhat like a video version of Reddit, at least in the sense that there is something for everybody on that platform, which is why, of course, there’s loads of modern-day poetry.
Instead of having to visit a speakeasy to witness spoken verses, TikTok lets you do that from the comfort of your own phone. Whilst many re-post other people’s poems, Whitney Hanson likes to speak her own words, often from her car, exploring the themes of love, loss and healing.
Hollie McNish – Unfiltered, Comical, Raw Poetry
Hollie McNish, a Sunday Times best-selling author, writer of four books and honer of 78K followers on Instagram has a way with words which would shock your grandma. Why? Because she writes poetry about the most unfiltered, raw and often shocking topics — it is admittedly incredibly millennial of her.
