The New Heights of Poetry
Poetry has traveled throughout the world, growing and transforming every step of the way. As humans evolve, so does our interest in art, lifting poetry to new heights. The desire to explore the human experience with storytelling has remained even as mediums rapidly develops to something more.
Researchers believe poetry came to life before literacy. It often took the form of songs and rhymes that were passed down through generations. Today, this art form is limitless. Whether in spoken word, song, prose, or podcast, there are endless outlets to discover poetry through. This also means that there are even more ways to create poetry.
Modern poetry knows no bounds. Poets aren’t only knocking down barriers by breaking outdated rules. Now, they’re creating new ones. The rules of poetry are whatever you want them to be! Thanks to all of this forward movement, contemporary poets are taking their talents to new heights. Ahead, a few of the most unique places poetry has taken talented writers!
From Pages to Stages: Sekou Andrews
The past few years we have seen several writers step out of the shadows to shine on stage. Originally a spoken word poet, Sekou Andrews has dedicated his career to what he calls “poetic voice”. Poetic voice is a “unique blend of inspirational speaking and spoken word poetry.” Andrews is known for artfully speaking and delivering messages designed to bring audiences to their feet. With a GRAMMY nominated spoken word and symphony album under his belt, there’s no doubt that his voice was created to inspire others and pioneer this new art form!
“When they tell you talk is cheap, tell them silence is unaffordable.” – Sekou Andrews
Touring Tumblr Sensation: Rupi Kaur
Remember Tumblr? If so, high-five! For the younger crowd, it was a blog site similar to Instagram from the early 2000’s. It is also where the incredible Rupi Kaur first began. She first shared her favorite lines through quick Tumblr posts. After gaining more followers and confidence, she began performing poetry at local events. Fast-forward to today and Kaur has multiple New York Times best-selling collections as she wraps up an international poetry tour! Kaur’s honesty and authenticity shine through all she does. Finding her poetry come across your feed feels like receiving a loving text from a friend. From her cultural experiences to the ferocity of womanhood, she admits the good and bad of it all with an inspiring sense of grace. Maybe that’s why her rise to success has been so seemingly steady. Rupi Kaur transforms the often toxic world of social media into a place of hope and encouragement with every post. Though her list of achievements is constantly growing, one of her most radiant contributions will be discovering a way to use this highly digital age for good!
Podcasting Poets: The Poet Salon
Poets and friends, Gabrielle Bates, Luther Hughes, and Dujie Tahat, mix up the perfect blend of poetry and craft cocktails in The Poet Salon. This podcast shines a light on the minds of writers with a captivating sense of honesty. Each episode features a guest poet, the hosts, and a cocktail (or mocktail) uniquely made for their guest. The trio began as individual poets and authors. So, with their own fair share of accomplishments, collections, and chapbooks, each voice gives an entirely different perspective. Hearing poets reveal their thought processes and stories with like minded individuals is so rare. Sure, we get interviews with poets. But it’s not every day you get to hear the questions that only a poet knows to ask. Hearing the community, creativity and inspiration reverberate through your AirPods reminds you that poetry is meant to be heard. It is meant to be experienced.
Whether it’s on a stage, through a post or between the pages, poetry is all around us. The ability to articulate an experience or feeling in a way that makes others feel is poetry. It is a graceful and jarring reminder that we are humanity, in every form we take. As the world shrinks and grows with each passing day, this art form is there to bridge the gap between generations and cultures. When you have the heart of a poet, the entire world is at the tip of your pen.
