THE WRITING ON THE WALL: RELOCATING POETRY FOR THE INTERNET GENERATION
Date
2013-05
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Abstract
Poetry has changed with the spread of the Internet. The ability to self-publish, to combine media, and to remix other works are among some of the affordances of digital technologies that have altered the creation and distribution of poetry. Newly articulated theories of “digital poetics” are appearing in an attempt to account for poetic meaning in light of this apparently radical schism, while traditional forms of poetry now loom in stark contrast. Yet, haven’t poets always been exploiting the materials at their disposal in innovative ways to create new meanings? I argue that the shift since the Internet Generation merely appears radical because it highlights an aspect of poetic meaning that has, historically, often been ignored: the technological aspect. I propose an ecological view of poetic meaning consisting of a three way, reciprocal interaction between individual, culture, and technology. By adopting this perspective, I hope to show that we can account for meaning in digital poetry while preserving its ties with history.