Poetry is becoming one of the most powerful tools in modern protest movements. It is shared on signs, recited at rallies, and broadcasted across social media. In an age of political unrest, climate crisis, and global calls for justice, activists are turning to verse not just for expression, but for impact.
From chants written in rhymed couplets to spoken Instagram reels, poetry is shaping how movements communicate. Mrs. Kenney, a WFS English teacher, said, “Fictional stories and poems can allow us to see the truth in a more personal way than just reading a piece of journalism. Accessing the emotion is the way to really engage.” Poetry’s ability to stir emotion, condense complex truths, and cross language barriers makes it uniquely effective in stirring action. This is not new. Throughout history, poets have spoken where others were silenced. Langston Hughes wrote defiantly during the Jim Crow era, echoing the dreams and demands of the civil rights struggle. Pablo Neruda’s politically charged poems made him a voice for Chile’s oppressed. During the Arab Spring, a series of anti-government protests during the early 2010s, young revolutionaries spray-painted verses on walls to bypass censorship and unify the people.
Poetry, with its diverse language and emotional power, thrives under repression and uncertainty. It captures what speeches or statistics cannot: the soul of a movement. When asked about the importance of poetry in protest, Mrs. McManus said, “Every protest
sign is essentially a poem, it’s the shortest way to say the most important thing.” She claimed that, “Poetry is the TikTok of the novel.” Today, poetry is again at the front lines of resistance. In Iran, protestors, especially women, have revived classical Persian poetic forms to express rage, grief, and hope under authoritarian rule. Protest slogans have drawn from centuries-old lines by Hafez and Rumi, whose spiritual and rebellious undertones echo across time. “For Women, Life, Freedom” became a recurring phrase on protest signs, connecting ancient tradition with present day struggle.
In Palestine, poetry has long been a tool of resistance. Poets like Mahmoud Darwish, whose works remain deeply influential, have helped articulate a national identity shaped by exile and conflict. Contemporary Palestinian poets, both in the occupied territories and the diaspora, continue this tradition. Their verses, shared through Twitter threads and WhatsApp messages, carry witness to trauma and resilience in equal measure. At protests from London to Lebanon, Darwish’s lines are still chanted aloud: “We suffer from an incurable malady: hope.”
In the United States, poetry has emerged as a crucial mode of expression in racial justice movements. At the height of the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, spoken word artists performed at rallies and vigils, weaving personal histories with collective grief. Amanda Gorman’s poem “The Hill We Climb”, performed at President Biden’s inauguration, bridged activism with official visibility, reminding millions of the transformative power of verse rooted in justice.
Meanwhile, climate activism is also turning to poetry. Greta Thunberg has read poems during speeches, and organizations like Poets for the Planet use verse to engage audiences emotionally with environmental issues. At a 2023 climate march in Berlin, an 11-year-old girl stood before a crowd of thousands, reciting her poem about rising seas and vanishing species. A video of the moment went viral, sparking thousands of similar posts from youth around the world. What sets this era apart is how protest poetry
spreads. TikTok, Instagram, and Threads have turned poetic fragments into viral sensations. A short video of a
teenager reading a powerful piece can reach millions in a day. Hashtags turn lines of protest poetry into slogans, rallying cries, and digital graffiti. Emily Rissolo ‘26 said, “The fast communication that we have today allows po-
etry to reach many marginalized groups and encourage them to rise up.”
The digital poetry community is growing rapidly, and with great impact. In Iran in 2022, Shervin
Hajipour’s song Baraye, crafted from protest tweets, became the anthem of a nationwide uprising. Though
Hajipour was arrested, the song was streamed over 40 million times in days and quoted by world leaders,
proving poetry’s ability to transcend repression. Even as governments crack down on rebellion,
poetry persists. In classrooms, on sidewalks, through screens, and on megaphones, people continue to write
and recite for freedom. Its strength lies not in volume but in resonance.
Poet Langston Hughes, picryl.com
