In the words of incumbent U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, “The need to poet is carried from one generation to the next.” This statement might seem rather self-evident, considering that it can be applied to almost any basic human function and make perfect sense. The need to breathe is indeed carried from one generation to the next. I know, shocker.
However, Harjo is referencing the tendency for poets to view their work within the context of literary history. Poetry is a sacred torch, passed through the centuries, amassing a living tradition of culture and creativity. Since the invention of complex language, poetry has given voice to humanity’s most fundamental yearnings and anxieties, forever evolving as it trickles through the minds of each passing generation.
In an age where the omnipresence of technology seems to have driven the arts and entertainment into the practice of instant gratification, many have wondered how literature, an art that has historically required time and effort to appreciate, will adapt to the demands of the 21st century.
In 2014, rising from an obscure crevice in cyberspace, poetry for the digital age was born. Known, perhaps too generally, as the “Instapoets,” this new group of writers is characterized by a stylistic and thematic minimalism that works seamlessly in the context of a social media post. Found predominately on Instagram, hence the moniker, these poems are brief, concise and visually appealing.
The movement’s frontrunners have enjoyed a commercial success that seems almost unprecedented. Rupi Kaur, undoubtedly the face of Instapoetry, has spent 41 consecutive weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List, embarked on a sold-out national tour, made appearances of prime time television and, in 2018, even outsold Homer’s “The Odyssey.”  
However, despite this success, not everyone is rushing to crown Kaur as the voice of a generation. The Instapoets have been consistently called out by academics and traditional literature lovers who insist that their work is just as vapid as any other superficial Instagram post.
As a young writer myself, I admit I’ve had the urge to jump on the bandwagon. I have to be honest with myself though; I don’t think Instapoetry, for the most part, is good poetry. I tried to force myself to like it, reading and interpreting the poems and giving them false depths.  
I think what ultimately bothered me most was that I couldn’t help seeing Instapoetry as indicative of the impatience and self-aware sense of depth that millennials and Generation Z are so often pinned with.
Renowned Yale literary critic Harold Bloom put it rather effectively when he said, “All bad poetry is sincere.” There is an honesty, accessibility and emotional vulnerability to Instapoetry that is undeniably appealing. This, paired with the consistent brevity of the poems, is what many cite as its hallmark attraction.
The problem is that these elements usually aren’t applied in any artful way. Many of the poems come off as aphorisms and platitudes delivered in flat, unimaginative language. It’s as if the poems are bits and pieces ripped from an extremely derivative self-help book.
However, I think it’s shortsighted to view Instapoetry as the full scope of my generation’s poetic contributions. There are more than enough young poets writing with the talent and insight to carry and elaborate on the traditions they’re inheriting.
Additionally, with the way literature is taught, I think there is a tendency for students to perceive poetry as something that has already happened. Rarely are students presented a view of literary history that invites them to pick up where their textbooks leave off. Instapoetry provides an interactive space for young writers to explore poetry. 
Ultimately, I think Instapoetry is playing a vital and unique role. The celebrity writers, trendy aesthetics and easy accessibility of these works remind people, especially young people, that the art of poetry is alive and representative of them and their experiences.
Evan Leonhard is a 19-year-old English and philosophy major from New Orleans, Louisiana.