Rupi Kaur, Instapoetry and poetry’s transition into the 21st Century

In 2013, a twenty-one-year-old girl began sharing her poetry on Tumblr. One year later, she took her work to another social media, Instagram. Mixing writing with simple illustrations, Rupi Kaur soon became a feminist icon admired mainly by women thanks to her artistic poems expressing women's struggles and empowerment.

Born in India, to a Sikh family, she emigrated with her parents to Canada when she was four years old. Rupi Kaur became a The New York Times best-selling author at only twenty-three years old.

Her book "Milk and Honey" is an anthology of poetry, prose, and hand-drawn illustrations. Kaur split the book into four chapters, each one dealing with a different theme. In October, Kaur released her second collection of poems, "The Sun and Her Flowers."

But what you may not know is that she's only the tip of the iceberg to a more profound artistic movement known as "Instapoetry."

Rupi Kaur's poem published on Milk and Honey

Rupi Kaur is the pop star of poetry, but poetry itself has evolved immensely. In the last few decades, this art form became less than a popular profession. Besides, people don't regard the poem as a medium in which you can make enough money to sustain yourself. That's the way the Instapoetry movement contributes to how we recognize and consume verses. Instapoetry is accessible. It's consumable. It's intuitive to create and to interpret. And, most important, it's close to our lifestyle. it ceased to be something printed on a book tucked in a bookshelf. It's on our phones; it appears on our Instagram feed. We can interact with not only the poem but also with the poet.

Today's breakout literary stars are tech-savvy, focussed on social media and, in audience increasing numbers.

Also, forget about the editors, agents, publishers, and middle-man. Instead, they're finding fame and followers via social media. If you think about it, the definition of Instapoetry is pretty much close to Hemingway's description of writing itself, "There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” Just swap "typewriter" for "smartphone." Plus you can do it standing up in the subway while going to work or lying down while you play with your pet in the living room. Either way, the form people create, share and read poetry has changed. Forever.

WHEN POEMS GO VIRAL

Rupi Kaur has 2.5 million followers on Instagram. R.M. Drake, another writer that uses Instagram to share his work, has 1.8 million. Beau Taplin, an author based in Australia, has 537 thousand, and Nikita Gill, from the UK, has nearly 380 thousand. The last two are also self-published. There are also profiles like "Atticus Poetry" whose work has been shared by celebrities and poetry lovers alike, but who remains anonymous.

But the way poets write and share their work through social media is entirely different from traditional poetry. Instapoetry is shorter, almost haiku-like. We could say it probably reflects our compulsiveness when checking our feed. It's easy to stay wandering instead of paying attention. When you go check your Instagram, you don't pretend to read a 100-stanza poem, do you?

Even then, Rupi Kaur's example shows us that a piece of art must respect its media to be successful, but also points out that it can also contribute to increasing the sale of poetry books.

Rupi Kaur's poems are far from being perfect. But we would say art itself shouldn't be. It's art, after all. It's about expressing feelings, empowerment, and self-awareness. There is no doubt that her work helped to inject adrenaline into poetry and brought it into the 21st-century, along with many other poets that are also exploring social media to write and expose their work.

HERE ARE SOME INSTAPOETS YOU MIGHT WANT TO FOLLOW

Orenda @poetrybyorenda: She uses illustrations to compose the emotional character of her poems.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfE9EGiF-6t/

@makeblackoutpoetry: The poems are made by covering up the other words of a magazine article or newspaper. If you feel inspired, you can submit your creations following the same logic.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh2xyS1H2-G 

Beau Taplin @beautaplin: As we mentioned before, this poet is from Australia. She has already published several books.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhtS6fCnmhu

Nikita Gill @nikita_gill: We also mentioned her before. She writes impactful poetry about loss, being resilient and life in general.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhZrqILBBP0

Lang Leav @langleav: She is a published novelist and poet that was born in a Thai refugee camp when her family was fleeing the Khmer Rouge Regime. She is based in New Zealand.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhux1srnNRd/

@quarterlifepoetry: This one you will wish for when you feel that slight despair of being an adult. #Relatable

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhrR7-hHxwU/

Brittin Oakman @b.oakman: Brittin is a mental health worker who will help you recognize the strength you have to face whatever it is. Extraordinary recommendation to get inspired for the day!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhWtvHJFBfk/

R.M. Drake @rmdrk: Robert's books have colorful covers, which he often sold in well-priced bundles. Most of his Instagram publications are from his published poems, which talk about self-knowledge, regrets, loneliness, and expectations.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh2msYygY_i/