What is Micropoetry?
Poetry has changed over the centuries, serving to reflect the political and social climate at the time. We have gone from Elizabethan poetry in 16-17th century England, to the wanderlust Beat movement in America in the 1960s, to Contemporary poetry today.
Poets have now transferred their writing from paper to digital mediums, such as websites, blogs, and social media platforms. The internet has become an effective way for poets to share their work and connect with other writers. Thus, a new literary movement has begun.
Micropoetry is a poem short enough to fit in a Twitter post or Instagram photo and/or caption. Micropoetry tends to be 140-160 characters or less, following the character limit on Twitter. These poems don’t necessarily follow any specific structure, but many poets use the haiku, tanka, and senryu forms. Various hashtags are used to find Micropoetry within the Twittersphere, such as #tweetpoem, #tenwordpoem, #haikuchallenge, and of course, #micropoetry.
The Strengths of Micropoetry
Today, many people don’t really have the time or energy to delve into an entire book of poetry. Many people tend to gravitate towards short poems, rather than lengthy poems that go over more than a page. Additionally, many people “fear” poetry because it tends to be difficult to understand. If a poem requires multiple reads to dig out the meaning, it will likely get less attention on the internet.
Micropoetry adapts to people’s shortened attention spans and on-the-go lifestyles, making it perfect to read on public transportation, before class begins, on your lunch break, or as you are browsing the internet before going to sleep. Most Micropoetry allows the meaning to be immediately understood upon the first read, and it keeps the reader’s attention for the right amount of time – just a few seconds. Even though these poems are quick to read and easy to understand, poets make sure to make every word count – Micropoetry tends to be brief, yet it stirs up powerful emotions, opinions, and memories within the reader.
Today’s writers, like Rupi Kaur, are redefining what it means to be a famous poet. Kaur became famous by posting her poetry online. Her books are not dense with text; rather, they feature many brief poems accompanied by mostly empty page space and aesthetic line drawings to match the poem. Her books tend to be a quick read, as each poem takes less about a minute on average to get through. Many people poke fun at Kaur, saying that her poems are “too short” and that they do not want to spend money on a book with all blank pages. However, Kaur is adapting to the needs of society today, and has become incredibly successful in doing so.
The Drawbacks of Micropoetry
Many works of Micropoetry tend to offer new insight, a new way of thinking, or powerful emotions – all encapsulated within a limited number of lines or words. However, many poets are criticized for being too cliché, for coming up with lines or poems that are unoriginal.
r. h. Sin, a popular poet on Instagram, is often criticized for his short, cliché poems. One poem reads: “she missed you / but didn’t / want you back.” Though it is short and sparks some emotion, it doesn’t feel original or creative. It seems more like something you’d text your friend, or read in a meme about breakups.
Another popular Instagram poet, r.m. drake, often posts poems like this one: “sometimes the most beautiful / people are beautifully broken,” which sounds like something that has already been said in a hundred different movies and books.
Many poets have the ability to write profound poetry, but the short format of Micropoetry seems to restrict some poets’ ability to expand beyond the cliché. For instance, Rupi Kaur has tons of cliché short poems in her book (for example: “if you are not enough for yourself / you will never be enough / for someone else”). Yet her longer works, such as “Home,” are filled with descriptive detail, powerful emotion, and boundless inspiration. These more lengthy poems are personal to Kaur, describing her inner life and emotions in much more artistic detail than her shorter poems could even attempt.
Takeaway
Like any literary movement, Micropoetry has its fans and critics. Micropoetry is a highly effective way to reach a broad amount of people and to draw in the most attention. In a society where most people don’t want to take the time or energy to digest long, complex poems, Micropoetry adapts to our short attention spans and fast-paced lifestyles. It follows us wherever we go, being easily accessible on any computer or mobile device. However, the short length can limit a poet’s creativity; while many pieces of Micropoetry are original and creative, many of them tend to be cliché quotes that you’ve already heard before.
What do you think about Micropoetry? Are you a fan? Or do you prefer longer works? How do you think poetry will evolve from here?
