Writing is for everyone, and poetry in particular has become a common outlet. Yet not every poem lives up to the promise of the genre, and not every poem merit publication or public display. While it is easy to scroll past a few shallow verses on Instagram, can we overlook the broader decline in literacy and the gradual dilution of poetry’s value?

What is the most essential part of a poem? A fun sequence of rhymes? A good flow? Extensive vocabulary? Creative Imagery? By defining what a poem is, we can define what deserves the name. Personally, I look for creativity. There is nothing more satisfying than reading a verse and thinking, “I wish I had written this,” or even, “I could not have written this.” A published poem by Rupi Kaur reads: “you are lonely / but you are not alone - there is a difference.” Compare that with a verse from Ask Me to Stay by Trista Mateer: “Tell me that you've spent a great deal of time gazing at stars, thinking that sometimes things look better farther apart. That constellations are only beautiful because we have the space to connect the dots.” Both women are modern writers, and both speak of loneliness, but only one of them paints it with her words. A poem should not need italics and extra spaces to stretch and reach hearts.

Mass posted “poetry” diminishes the art’s value and contributes to the decline in literacy. For readers are growing accustomed to simple, trendy, surface-level lines, losing appreciation for the careful craft of meaning, and engaging less critically with language.

Everything has its target audience, and everyone can publish their writing. But not everyone should call their work poetry, nor themselves poets.

Maram Al Israwi

L3