Poetry has been around since the Enlightenment. Big names like Edgar Allen Poe, Robert Frost, and William Shakespeare have paved the way for the poetry we read in our English textbooks.
However, recently poetry has served a different purpose. It has become a way for people to share their emotions and internal struggles. On Instagram alone, there are plenty of poets that have amassed millions of followers. And the number of youth who read poetry has nearly doubled since 2012.
As of late, poets have been gaining recognition in mainstream media. In 2020, Amanda Gorman shared her moving poem at Joe Biden’s inauguration and then was invited to the Met Gala. In the popular hit show Ginny and Georgia, on Netflix, Ginny expressed her mental health and emotions through slam poetry and those moments have quickly become fan favorite scenes.
But, even with its rise, poetry is still a controversial topic because it seems cringe to most people.
However, poetry is more than roses are red, and violets are blue. Think of it as journaling. Only, poetry can be both a written art form and a verbal one. It’s a powerful tool to get serious messages across.
I have been writing poetry since 7th grade about topics like mental health, love, school, and my struggles. It has been a great outlet for me to let go and write how I truly feel. Not only that, I record and recite these poems with my whole heart and it’s extremely refreshing. With the encouragement of friends and family, I decided to start my own Instagram poetry account dedicated to short-word poetry.
When I first started poetry, I was unsure about the idea and even laughed at my classmates for recommending it. Hesitantly, I quickly threw together a poem, and that same poem won me 5th place at a local poetry competition. A week later, I re-read my poem and realized that it lacked an important factor. Emotion. So instead, of trying to find the prettiest words on Google and attempting to make them rhyme. I decided to write about what I could relate to the most, and at that moment it was my mental health.
I watched some YouTube tutorials to help steer me in the right direction, and I just started experimenting with different topics. Anytime, I had a rough day, I would write my feelings into my journal and turn them into a poem. Over time, I began viewing poetry as an emotional outlet, and it quickly became a big part of my life. Now I write poetry almost every day and I’ve learned a few things about how to write a solid poem.
You have to start off by brainstorming some topics that come easily to you, write them down for motivation, and just write as if you were journaling. After, that try to find words that sound similar; if you intend to use a rhyme scheme. If that turns out to be too difficult then there’s always free-verse poetry. Free-verse poetry doesn’t need to rhyme. In terms of reciting poems, it will take a while to find your rhythm. So I recommend watching YouTube poets to help find out what tone and pace suits you best.
Some popular poets you should listen to are Bylthe Baird, Sabrina Benaim, and Rupi Kaur.
“When the Fat Girl Gets Skinny” is a well-known spoken word poem that illustrates how it feels like to lose weight in modern society. Sabrina Benaim’s popular poem, “Explaining my Depression to My Mother: A Conversation” is a hard-hitting poem about depression. If you are into romance and relatability, I recommend checking out @RaegansPoetry on Instagram.
Poetry is a great way to express your emotions, and with the internet now in the palm of our hands, it’s something worth checking out. Poetry has helped me get through tough times, and when I feel like sharing these thoughts, I simply share my poems.
Here is some of my recent work:
group chat- carlos rocha
on late nights
and stressful days
I resort to the group chat
because that’s where I feel most safe
there’s beauty in friendship
there’s beauty in trust
When I hear their voices, I’m suddenly calm.
when nothing else is working out, and my walls are caving in
friendship is what keeps me going
because to me platonic is the best kind of love.
ex- best friend- carlos rocha
I never stopped thinking about what had happened to you.
The funny, cool, girl I once knew.
I haven’t seen you around.
I don’t know where you’ve gone.
I have your number, but it feels like I’ve been blocked.
I tried to talk to you, but all our friends are so different.
I guess people change because now you feel so
distant.
the power of poetry- carlos rocha
Poetry is not just words
Poetry is digging deep down into every memory
At every place
In every state, your heart has been in.
Poetry is allowing yourself to feel.
Poetry is relatability.
A sense of freedom through pen and paper.
A sense of liberty.
A place where thoughts meet the page;
unaccompanied by the weight of criticism.
Poetry is an outlet.
A safe space.
Poetry is everything you’ve ever wanted to say,
and capturing it in the most beautiful way.
