Oftentimes when I talk about my newfound love for poetry, people think that I have become someone who walks around quoting Lord Byron, drinking expensive tea, and think everyone who does not share my interest to be below me. Poetry has a reputation of being pretentious and pompous, with old white men writing about their lost loves rife in metaphor and best consumed while drinking a hearty amount of whiskey. While I will never judge someone for the books they like to read, particularly poetry, I have found that type of literature to be unreadable and often boring as hell.
When I talk about my newfound love for poetry, I'm referring to modern-day poets, from Sylvia Plath onward. These modern poets have adopted a style that I find very approachable and relatable, and the mix of authors is so diverse that it is virtually impossible to not find someone you can personally relate to. The style that most of these collections are written in is informal, oftentimes with every word typed in complete lowercase except for emphasis in some cases. There is little rhyme scheme as well, which makes it feel like shortened prose as opposed to classic poetry.
The best thing about this modern poetry is the content. Many poets have found that this style of writing is ideal to tell their personal stories and spread their messages, and the effect is astounding. For example, Rupi Kaur's collection "milk and honey" tells the story of her life, all of the love and heartbreak, including sketches that she draws to accompany certain poems. The finished product is a heart-wrenching story of love and life, which paints not only a beautiful picture of this woman's life but spreads her wisdom in a lasting way.
i want to apologize to all the women i have called pretty before i've called them intelligent or brave. i am sorry i made it sound as though something as simple as what you're born with is the most you have to be proud of when your spirit has crushed mountains. from now on i will say things like 'you are resilient' or, 'you are extraordinary', not because i don't think you're pretty. but because you are so much more than that. -rupi kaur
Poetry has become a way for those without a voice to shout out to the world and tell all they have to say. It has become a way for feminism to continue to grow stronger as women and men share their experiences and their words with the world. It has given strength to those who feel they have none.
Poetry is the future, and the future poets are those that will lead us to the revolution our generation is desperately seeking. Their words will fuel our fire, and our words will join theirs as we all share our experiences and thoughts in the best way. And our poetry will read on even after we are gone.
