Poetry as an Influential Art Form
Modern poetry is often connected with the explosive growth of contemporary culture; an ever-changing landscape of ideas and self-expression through language. Whether it is spoken word, rap, experimental, the spoken word, or slam poetry, modern poetry has grown to be an influential art form in its own right. Though the roots of modern poetry can be found in various different forms of literature and art, its evolution into a distinct style and art form can be attributed to the dawn of 20th century counterculture.
This new, wave of creative expression found its way across North America, Europe, and particularly in the United Kingdom. During the early 20th century, a wave of young writers clashed with the stale conventions of the traditional Establishment – in which authors and audiences belonged to a rather exclusive group – and rebelled against what one might describe as “polite” writing styles and tastes.
In linguist Laurence Goldstein’s category of “experimental writing”, it is made known that modern poetry, “[seeks] to expand both the means of expression and of reception and to provide more direct, immediate and physically impactive experiences”. He notes that this kind of writing is often so revolutionary, that it violates the standard conventions of syntax, gets rid of “lyric poetry”, and often writes texts in a unconventional, abstract style.
With this comes a “reflection of the intensity of the [writer’s] life” and a style of composition, which places the author more as a subject to be analyzed. Through time, as our culture has developed, these writers have settled into the traditions of modern day poetry, with an increased focus on feeling and closeness to the self, or to the larger scope of humanity.
Part of modern poetry entails the reader’s closer connection to the written word. Rather than a focus on meter and rhyme, there is a higher attention to the author’s style of writing, and their message within the particular text.
Within the English Language, modern poetry can be easily traced in the works of T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, and Ted Hughes. As a poet, Eliot’s work defined modernism, delivering a message of true dialogue without prejudice. While his The Waste Land is considered his most influential work, his other works, The Hollow Men and Ash Wednesday, remain timeless pieces – well known within the adaptation of modern poetry.
The Birth of the Beat Generation
The Beat Generation, derived from the central notion of the world “beatitudes” in the 1950s, emphasized the importance of non-conformity and the retrieval of a spiritual essence in everyday life. American poets like Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso and William S. Burroughs, among others, influenced many of the new ideas in poetry since then.
At the center of this movement was the idea of full self-expression and non-conformity to the standards of the past. As Allen Ginsberg in Howl wrote: “I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness”, the Beat Generation strived to break the conventions of what was considered “normal”, whilst exploring the nature of emotional and spiritual recovery.
In addition to rejecting the old rules of English poetry, the Beat Generation glorified its authors as the new stars of America, promoting the lifestyle and image of their rebellious attitudes. This has carved out a path for many authors to follow; this has included the likes of Kerouac, Spencer, and Berger, who have had a profound effect upon modern day poets and their features have been celebrated in many periodicals and popular culture.
In the years after the Beat Generation, modern poetry opened up for multiple voices and unique perspectives. The Beat Poets’ debate of freedom with form offered an opportunity for different kinds of writers to emerge, with the likes of Amiri Baraka, Adrienne Rich, and Audre Lorde, who were able to freely express their emotions and ideas with greater efficiency than the mainstream ideals of their time.
These writers introduced a plethora of new emotions and innovative forms of writing within their work, leading to the increase in popularity of modern-day poetry, spoken word, and rap.
Techniques and Forms of Modern Poetry
The focus on an individual’s emotions towards the external world, and the inner-self, can be seen the writing from many modern writers. This includes the likes of Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, and David Constantine, three English post-war poets, who are heavily associated with the concept of confessional poetry.
Confessional poetry is a form of modern poetry that refers to the exploration of the “inner-self” and the individual’s outlook of the external world. This method of poetry often brings with it an investigation into the crisis of identity, and the pollution of one’s past traumas, worries, anxieties and inhibitions. Sylvia Plath’s therapeutic writing and her exploration of her problems in her poems, establish her as one of the strongest practitioners of this kind of poetry.
Meanwhile, the likes of Pablo Neruda, Roberto Bolano, Cesar Vallejo, Fernando Pessoa, amongst other Latin American poets paved the way to an explosion of modern poetry in the Hispanic context, emerging at the same time as the Beat Generation.
These audiences shaped the style to fit the culture and what is valuable, introducing already entrenched emotions and concepts into their own poetics, creating rhythms that still find a way to the present-day reader or listener – a testament to the potential resonance of modern poetry.
The focus on inner-self is one of the main components of modern day poetry, along with the concepts of disarming language, and being able to share stories in a way that is truly representative of self-expression. These modern day experiments are opened up for improvisation, with limitless possibilities of connections, themes and snippets that can be used to create powerful poetry.
The Impact of Modern Poetry
The impact of modern poetry has been anything but insignificant. In more recent history, modern poetry has been used as a tool to address social issues while allowing writers to address their issues and experiences in a way that advances activism and often inspiring of thousands of people around the globe.
Available at the palm of our hands – with the help of the internet and social media, poetry has changed how we consume, how we connect to each other, and how we engage with the material. Powerful spoken word has spread across the world – from performance to radio, it has become a regular feature that engages people from varying backgrounds into the idea of beautiful words.
Poets like Rupi Kaur and Warsan Shire had redefined our approach to self-expression through their works, advocating for topics such as self-care, mental health, racism, sexism and a plethora of topics that have become prevalent within our current world. Along with this, multiple outlets — from creative writing careers to nonprofit organizations — have been created to help aspiring artists develop their craft, as well as to help build a platform for poets to share their voice.
Much further, modern poetry has been used as a way to explore the unknown, travel on journeys of self-discovery and let our minds explore without limits – something that can break the monotony of the daily routines and awaken our senses to something that transcends reality.
The Role of the Poet Today
The role of the poet today is to actively, contribute to the modernisation of literature, to be a vanguard of Thought and expression that values subjectivity, originality and freedom of speech. Poetry can also new insights into certain areas of human thought in a way that no other form of literature has before and continues to do, allowing us to explore the depths and beauty of our inner worlds.
Poets today are articulating their messages through several means, with the likes of magazines, blogs and websites curating collections of work and offering networks of support. Rebellious figureheads like Saul Williams and Kate Tempest have grown in popularity and artistry, bridging the gap between their art, and the infrastructure of artistic agencies.
Creative writing programs, award-winning anthologies, small presses and modern literary nonprofits have given a platform for writers to call home and connect with each other. By looking into and studying these poets and their works, we can see how their messages have had a huge impact on the way language is being used today.
Modern Poetry on the web
The web has been one of the main sources of growth for modern poetry, and nowadays multiple platforms are offering poets a platform to showcase their talents and talents. Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, have become active hubs for writers, spoken word artists, and poets to express themselves, share their messages and build a network with like-minded individuals.
In addition to this, there are multiple websites dedicated to modern poetry, and its resurgence over the last years. These channels, hosting writers and readers, act as an online gathering place of discussion, whereby thoughtful works of modern poetry can be collected and shared with an incredible number of people.
In light of the web, there has been an emergence of an incredible wealth of poetry communities, connecting individuals globally and creating an online safe-space. These networks create a foundation for constructive criticism that helps upcoming authors to improve their work, as well as seeking feedback and outlining the focus for their work.
Final Thoughts
Modern poetry has been around for close to a century now, though it has gone through many incarnations, from the Beat Generation to the web-savvy poets of today. This ever-evolving art form has contributed to literary discourse and opened the doors of our daily lives to an enhanced level of self-expression.
At its core, the importance of poetry lies within its ability to bring the words alive and to bring humanity to life – a testament to the power of modern poetry and why it resonates with so many writers, readers and researchers. For better or worse, poetry has succeeded in pushing the limits of what can be discussed and how, allowing us to find beauty in life’s messiest moments.
