USING ‘INSTAPOETRY’ TO ENCOURAGE READING & WRITING

What is ‘instapoetry’? ‘Instapoems’ tend to be short enough to fit neatly into a single Instagram photo and simple enough that readers can instantly grasp the meaning while scrolling on their iPhones.

Why should we read ‘instapoetry’? Accessible - ‘instapoetry’ is simple enough that readers can instantly grasp the meaning while scrolling on their iPhones. Integrates technology in the classroom - instead of scrolling through their celebrity crush’s feed, ‘instapoetry’ is an educational way learners can use Instagram in the classroom. Inventive - ‘instapoetry’ is a great subversion of the debates on narcissism and self-obsession vis-a-vis social media. It is a shot of vulnerability among all the curated snapshots of friends and influencers, and that sort of subversion is part of poetry’s tradition. Culturally relevant - though ‘instapoetry’ may lack the subtlety and complexity that literary- minded poets and highbrow critics usually prefer, its deeply confessional, heart-on-your-sleeve ethos speaks to the real-life contexts of its young fans. "Whenever I read her poems, I have the same thought: 'This is exactly how I feel but never knew how to say it.” Encourages the reading of poetry - according to the New York Times, three of the top 10 best selling poetry books in the US at present have been written by poets at the forefront of the Instapoet movement.

— Hera Lindsay Bird, ‘Instapoet’ “For a long time, poems have been so difficult and rarefied, and along comes Rupi Kaur, who is the age of her audience and seems to be flouting convention. Her readers can understand what she’s talking about. They don’t feel insulted or stupid, and they don’t feel like they need to dissect [the writing] like in English class.” —Ian Williams, Award-winning poet and assistant poetry professor at the University of British Columbia “I think poetry belongs to everyone.” — Hera Lindsay Bird, ‘Instapoet’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM89Q5Eng_M

Does ‘instapoetry’ live up to literary critique? Some believe that poetry is not just about the uncontrolled expression of how you feel, but how you shape that expression. Still, ‘instapoets’ are doing what surely every poet wants to achieve: connecting with and moving their readers.

Write your own ‘instapoem’! No more than 3 lines (short enough to fit on an smartphone screen) Make it culturally relevant (speak to current events in political or popular culture) Make it personal Give it a title