Instagram and the Rise of New-Age Poets

Can rhyming words on top of aesthetic background images be called poetry?

I am not a great poet. Whom am I kidding? I am not even a good one, I might be an aspiring one. Yes, that sounds right. I follow a lot of self-proclaimed new-age poets on Instagram, and some of them are good. But most of them do not know what they are doing. I started realizing it slowly, and I have started unfollowing them one by one

Since when did words on aesthetic background images became poetry? Do you think Yeats or Shelley needed that extra support when they wrote poems?

High on Aesthetics, Low on Content

Instagram should be no place for poetry

I say this, but I find myself posting my poems on Instagram. I love the little ‘hearts’ I get. I love the words of love I receive from people who have not read the ‘Ozymandias’ or ‘The Second Coming’. I have found myself restlessly looking at my smartphone every 5 minutes after I have posted something new; a new heart, or a comment or a follow thrilled me. But why? If they loved my work, why do they unfollow me after a day or two because I did not follow them back? Why do support keep dropping day by day? What is this starting hype?

Instagram Is an Amazing Platform For

Photographers, Models, Brands, Painters …

I do not have anything against Instagram, I follow some of the best photographers and artists through his platform. Instagram is very efficient for Photographers, Painters, Brands, Celebrities and Models. It has a minimal and clean layout that is easy to navigate through, it is a great app without question. But it is no place for words.

Yes Haiku Might Work, Even Micro-Poetry if That Is a Thing

Haikus and micro-poems might find Instagram to be a good fit, but not real poetry. I love some of the micro poems that I see; they rhyme good and are cute. The real issue is not because there are not good poets on Instagram. The real issue is that the new wave of micro poetry is deceiving people to believe that they, in fact, are poetry. They do not realize that a world exists beyond Instagram where quality works are being published by creative minds. There are old school publication houses with airtight submission guidelines and high standards. Ther are poetry coming from pain, failure and betrayal. There are serious literary heads who learn creative writing and literature to follow their dreams. And yet we have a world where what matters is the tag of ‘Influencer’, and all of us are racing behind that tag.

Top-Notch

Medium has some amazing publications where I have seen quality writings, both fiction and poetry. But I would love to point out some online publications outside the Medium Platform that are trying their best to promote good writing. I follow these publications, I read the articles and I even try my luck. But as I said, they have air-tight guidelines and high standards.

1. The New Yorker:

It is like every aspiring writer’s dream to get published on this prestigious magazine. As a magazine that is blessed by the works of the likes of Murakami, the chances of getting published there as a no-one is close to nil.

2.The Cincinnati Review:

This is published by the University of Cincinnati, Ohio. They have published works of Pulitzer price winners and is generally considered as one of the top literary publications.

3. Agni:

Agni is an American Literary magazine founded in 1972 and they publish fiction, poetry, essays, interviews and reviews. They are published twice in print, and weekly in online medium.

4. Asia Literary Review:

This is one of the best literary magazines from Asia, and they publish quarterly via print and online.

5.Zoetrope: All-Story:

Launched in 1997 by none other than Francis Ford Coppola, this is one of the best literary magazines out there. It has won the National Magazine Award for fiction.

Postscript:

I grew up reading works of Yeats, Shelley, Frost, Tagore and other creative geniuses. Their words were difficult to understand, I often struggled to keep up with my English teachers. I would later revisit them as an adult, try to understand the meaning of those words. I still struggle, but I try and when I finally understand it, it blows my mind. It gives me a feeling that I do not get reading poems on Instagram.