Poetry and the Internet

The world of poetry is not dying, but it is changing. If you asked yourself what defines the past decade you would probably respond the same way as I would, as millions of people would, the Internet. We are in the age of information, as the clichés go, the world is at our fingertips. We can learn anything, meet anyone. We can find fame and fortune by lip syncing into a video camera or blogging about politics. Unlike television, which stole us away from books and spoon fed us our entertainment, the Internet has re-awakened our need to learn. By requiring us to participate in our own endeavors, we have become active again in our quest for knowledge. Poetry has not been lost to this revolution. In fact, it has been revived. Why? Because, due to its dedicated followers, poetry has caught up to our 21st century needs by becoming instant and readily available.

There are many websites dedicated to preserving the heart of poetry. Poets.org, created by the Academy of American Poets (founded in 1934) was efficacious in keeping up with technology with their award winning website which proudly claims to receive a million visitors each month. Their dedicated administrators have built a haven for poetry lovers around the world, offering a huge directory of published poetry with easy to use search and browse tools. In addition, Poets.org provides access to several Academy programs such as National Poetry Month, Academy [poetry] Book Awards, Poetry Audio Archive (live poetry readings dating back to 1963), various online educational services, and much more. Websites such as these are excellent resources for people who already read poetry, but they also supply encouragement for new readers with their various outreach programs.

As important as it is to maintain appreciation for already established poetry, it is equally necessary to the poetry world to maintain new talent. Social networking sites and online poetry magazines have quickly become a breeding ground for young poets. What Myspace and Youtube have done for musicians, poetry networking sites such as Allpoetry.com are doing for writers. Allpoetry.com is a particularly popular website providing poets with the opportunity to publish their work online, receive immediate feedback from other poets, and enter their best work into poetry contests. Similar sites also provide online writing workshops or instructional guides. Best of all, these sites are available at low to no cost to the user.

There are also many applications that are offered by general interest Internet sites such as Google and Firfox that enhance the writing experience. Such applications include: easy-to-use dictionaries, thesaurus's, text highlighters, reference aides, etc. And when poets begin to feel comfortable with their development, the same poetry sites that helped them grow as writers, can become an avenue for promoting their work and making a name for themselves in the poetry community. Some sites even include links which provide the online readers of a particular poet the opportunity to purchase his or her newly published work.

Some common doubts among the poetry community include the validity of such websites and online magazines as well as the quality of administration. While the quality of these websites do vary, many are very professional and established. Craig Morgan Teicher from Publisher's Weekly explains, "These are not self-publishing ventures or scams. The editors of these magazines are often distinguished poets themselves, and they can be just as picky as their print counterparts."

Some might also wonder how the quality of literature will be affected by the sudden ease of becoming a writer. Will the world be flooded with watered down or commercialized material? I expect not. While the Internet does make it easier for a writer to follow his or her dreams, it also makes it easier for millions of other writers to follow his or her dreams. In this generation, one must try even harder to stand out in the massive crowd. Yes, we may see a flood of novice material, but thanks again to those dedicated poetry lovers, website administrators, and editors, it is the good stuff that the world will pay attention to. Today's writer may be fostered in the beginning, but once the decision is made that it is time to become published, he or she will have to face the skeptical eye of the masses.

Of course, before we can hope to nurture the passion for poetry, we must not forget the importance of instilling the benefits of poetry into the minds of our children. The Internet world is successfully addressing that need. According to Lisa Von Drasek in her article, "Poetry: Lisa Von Drasek interprets the noisy world of poetry on the Internet," the Internet can do quite a bit to add to the young student's poetry experience. There are hundreds (if not more) websites such as Poetry4kids.com that offer as much support for children interested in poetry as those which support adult writers. With video graphics, audio files, interactive games and discussion forums geared toward children, the learning opportunities are seemingly endless.

In addition to all of the direct changes that are being made to the poetry world, there are also indirect ways in which the Internet is changing poetry. Using the Internet for other purposes such as shopping, paying the bills, finding a recipe, etc. has no doubt given the average person more time to spend on leisurely activities such as reading and pursuing their passions. How we spend that time of course is up to each individual, but having it available has surely made it possible for many people (including myself) to read more poetry, and for those who have a passion for writing poetry, to follow their hearts. Increasingly popular online education can doubly benefit a young writer, giving him or her the opportunity to go back to school when it might have otherwise been impossible, and encouraging the desire to learn, which can then lead to a greater appreciation for philosophy and literature.

The Internet has become such a popular and effective method of sharing information, it is reasonable to foresee a great change in publishing as we know it. Already, writers are becoming familiarized with the possibilities of online publishing. As of now, with the quickly rising popularity of digital books and electronic reading devices such as Amazon's Kindle, it seems that mass print publishing will eventually be a thing of the past. While part of me will mourn the loss of print and miss the dusty smell of pages, digital publishing is not a thing to be feared, neither by writer nor reader of poetry. For readers, digital publishing offers the opportunity to purchase reading material from the comfort of home, or, with the Kindle, anywhere. And without the need for costly printing materials, creating a digital file is less expensive and therefore cheaper (sometimes even free) for the consumer to purchase and ebook rather than a printed book.

Already publishers of technology magazines such as Ziff Davis Media's PC Magazine have decided to make the transition to online only publication. Jason Young, chief executive of Ziff Davis, simply states, "The viability for us to continue to publish in print just isn't there anymore" (Clifford). With other Magazines facing the pressures of high cost printing, it is unlikely that it will be long before they follow in their footsteps. With the general ease of building a website, even high-end magazines who publish both distinguished and up-and-coming poets have begun the transition. And for new magazine publishers, some of whom are becoming as notable as many reputable print publications, it is easier then ever before to make a quality online magazine on a small budget.

All that being said, there are some negative affects worth mentioning in regards to the Internet's effect on poetry. Now that people have easy access to millions of other people, we have to be weary of those who might do us harm. Just as in other areas of the Internet, scammers have reached poetry websites and begun to prey on young and vulnerable new writers. Such scams include false poetry contests, pretend editors and agents, and so on. Many of these scammers require upfront payments for services that are never fulfilled. Spam has also begun to flood unsuspecting poetry discussion forums, which sadly, often leads to genuine participants dropping out of collaboration with the group. But where there is a community, whether digital or physical, there will be wrong-doers. As long as we are protective of our personal information and weary of possible scams, there is little harm that can be done.

In conclusion, it is evident that the Internet will not be the end of poetry. Rather, it supports poetry, making it cheaper and more accessible for readers, educational and inspirational for writers, and more profitable than ever for publishers. In the future, poetry will grow stronger, thanks to the Internet. Our world, now that it is so well linked together, will harbor more poets, more readers, greater standards, and a plethora of fresh ideas. With the help of the Internet and the poetry lovers around the world, poetry isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Works Cited

Clifford, Stephanie. "PC Magazine will switch to online-only operation." 20 Nov. 2008. New York Times News Service.

Craig Morgan. "Poetry off the books: the internet is where poetry proliferates." Publishers Weekly 253.15 (2006): 22+. General OneFile. Web. 20 Dec. 2009.

Drasek, Lisa Von. "Poetry: Lisa Von Drasek interpets the noisy world of poetry on the Internet. (pathfinders guiding students to great sources)." School Library Journal 48.8 (2002): SS41+. General OneFile. Web. 20 Dec. 2009.