The name Rupi Kaur definitely means something to you. Author of Milk and honeycollection of poems placed for 77 weeks in the ranking of New York Times best sellers, Sun and its flowers as well as Homemade, she rose to prominence on her Instagram account, which now has 4.5 million followers. First self-published, her first collection was then republished by a publisher.
For this author, writing is primarily a way to heal her wounds. Her latest publication is a poetic exercise book, titled write to heal in which he invites his readers to rediscover their creativity, calming their ailments.
Her poems, very short in form and often illustrated, interrogate themes such as love, the immigrant experience, trauma and femininity. Her work is therefore part of her experience of the female body, in which she speaks freely about menstruation, female sexuality or even gender equality to encourage women to take responsibility and accept themselves.
Writing poetry on Instagram as a means of feminist expression
More generally, on Instagram, many “instapoets” explore themes close to those of Rupi Kaur. Their poems mix surprising formulas, intimate themes and are sometimes accompanied by illustrations. In particular, several female authors publish feminist poems. It would be impossible to list them all, but a Lang Leav to Yrsa Daley Wardthese female poets share writings promoting gender equality.
There are also many French-speaking authors who use Instagram. ” In truth, without Instagram, I’m not sure I would have dared or had the idea to self-publish my first poetry collection. And it goes without saying that even later I would never be singled out or solicited by different publishers. explains Pauline Bilisari.
On her Instagram account, which has more than 37,000 followers, she highlights her poems. First self-publishing for his poetry collection It’ll be fine, it was then located and published by a publisher for And tomorrow the sun will come back. Her feminist commitment is then reflected in her poems, which allow her to express herself freely:
“ poetry is the heart that screams, it is all that we have held for years that finally fails through the words we deliver to you (…) We write and cry out our legitimacy, our past pains, still present, and our hopes for the future . We are free to speak, we speak for those who could not speak, for the children we were, for the people we have become and for all who will yet come (…) Writing, poetry, Instagram, let me speak and share my ideas and my values without having to open my mouth and face this world that sometimes terrifies me. »
For these young feminist authors, Instagram therefore represents a space of poetic expression that offers women the opportunity to bring their voice on a large scale and to affirm more intimate themes to encourage the liberation of female language.
Poetry that reaches a wider community
Through the hashtag #instapoet, the Instagram network makes it possible to centralize the verses of these authors and to democratize poetry, especially among the youngest. Pauline Bilisari explains in this sense that “ people open to poetry ” AND “ Instagram allowed an entire generation of people to go to the bookstore to buy a book seen online or by an author who had touched them “.
If these new poetic forms are sometimes criticized, they have also made it possible to popularize a literary genre perceived as elitist. Something to delight readers with this new, committed poetic momentum that opens up new perspectives.
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
