About Poetry 2.0

What is Poetry 2.0?

Poetry 2.0 is a compilation of new ways to experience poetry in the 21st century.  

Who is the site for?

Poetry 2.0 is for teachers (check out the teacher resources). It’s for students. And it’s for poets… which means, of course, that it’s for everyone, since everyone is a poet. Whether or not you realize it, you write fragments of poems in your head whenever you observe an image or engage in conversation. The key is to capture those thoughts, to record your stories and reflections so others can hear and interact with them. Poetry is a shared experience, a remarkable opportunity for connection and openness—Poetry 2.0 is an extension of that shared experience. It is intended for anyone who wishes to participate. Please take the time to explore. Watch an animated poem. Flood Facebook with poetry. Create a poem using Google. Participate in a poetry MOOC. Discover at least one new way to experience poetry in the 21st century.

Poetry… in the 21st century?

Today, we’re surrounded by a constant onslaught of advertisements, social media feeds, and text conversations. Right now, you probably have Facebook or Twitter open in another tab. And by the time you finish this paragraph, several new emails will have already arrived at your inbox. Poetry, if anything, is becoming even more crucial as a chance to pause and reflect.

Too often, people see a wall between themselves and poetry. Students ask, “Isn’t poetry only for old people?” They worry that they don’t fully understand the significance of a quatrain or a sestina. They declare, “I don’t get poetry.” But there is no such thing as “getting” or “not getting” poetry. There is simply experiencing poetry.  In the 21st century, there are so many new ways to experience, and interact with, and form a community around poetry. 100 years ago, who could have imagined a poem “going viral”? Or a poem inserted into the genes of a bacterium? Through social media and videos and other platforms, people have the opportunity to play with language on an even more visceral level than ever before.

Explore

For easy exploration, Poetry 2.0 is sorted into five general categories, outlined below.