ABSTRACT
This chapter explains how aspects of platformization related to self-branding, participatory functions, accessibility, and transnational affordances have been significant mobilizers moving and evolving poetry into the world of popular culture. One of the most recognizable forms of social media poetry is “instapoetry,” which will be the primary form under consideration in the chapter. “Instapoetry” is a neologism that combines this social-media-born genre of poetry with the instantaneity afforded by social media platforms themselves. There are statistics that show the extent of the impact that Instagram-based poetry has made on popular English-language poetry sales. In 2016, poetry sales increased by 79% over 2015, and between 2016 and 2017 the units sold increased by another 154%. Communications scholar Alice Marwick points out that self-branding is one of the key elements to succeeding commercially on social media: “[t]he idea of turning yourself into a brand is now presented as an essential Web 2.0 strategy, and is firmly instilled in modern business culture”.
