Poetry as Therapy and Expression
A young poet who regards spoken word as her "biggest form of therapy" attributes the rising popularity of sharing poetry online to the fact that people "have a lot to say."
Georgia Griffiths, 26, from Merthyr Tydfil, explained that writing poetry has helped her make sense of the world amid today's "very political climate."
She aspires for individuals from working-class backgrounds to hear her Valleys accent and feel motivated to "just write and share their work."
The "poetry" hashtag has accumulated over 93 million posts on Instagram alone.
Matt Nõmme, 35, from Cardiff, who also writes and performs poetry, described the art form as one of the simplest and most accessible ways to express oneself.
"We're living in a very political climate and people have a lot to say,"said Georgia.
"That's why spoken word poetry is on the up, you're seeing so many more videos on Facebook and Instagram, TikTok, and things like that."
Her poems address themes such as domestic violence, Welsh identity, and working-class experiences.
Having won the Glastonbury Slam Competition and recently competed at the World Slam, she aims to demonstrate that poetry is for everyone.
Georgia said she was "really lucky" to grow up with a creative father who encouraged her to pursue "something you love" and believed "money wasn't the main focus."
"I just used to write poems about my friends and I would share them with people,"said Georgia.
At 18, Georgia relocated to Australia, where a close friend died by suicide.
"I was really struggling,"she said.
"I was halfway across the world away from everybody, and one day I just found myself writing a poem to him."
After returning to Wales five years later, she performed the poem at a memorial event and was moved by how many people connected with her words.
"People said I'd explained exactly how they felt and what they were going through,"she said.
This response led to additional performance opportunities and eventually inspired her to publish a poetry book.
Georgia stated that her poetry is inspired by the world around her.
"If I'm on public transport and someone says something, that can trigger a poem inside me,"she said.
"It's just kind of this thing that comes over you when you're writing.
I'm watching the news or something, and I get this feeling, and I write down the poem, and I don't usually go back and edit it."
She described her style as "real, raw and honest," employing accessible language and rhythm rather than complex vocabulary.
Many of her poems draw on her experiences growing up in Merthyr Tydfil.
"I think growing up working class you see a lot of the world through a different lens, and my main thing with poetry is that I want to give a voice to people who are sometimes voiceless,"she said.
Georgia recently competed in a slam poetry competition in Paris, won a competition at Glastonbury Festival, and has been invited to perform at an event in Madagascar.
"There's a lot more poetry events popping up, because people are writing poetry, and they want to share what they have to say,"said Georgia.
Matt Nõmme: Poetry as a Means to Understand the World
Matt Nõmme, 35, from Cardiff, described writing and performing poetry as "a way for me to explain the world around me and kind of break it apart."
Matt wrote his first poem while waiting in A&E with a family member in 2019.
By 2023, he "plucked up the courage" to attend an open mic night in Cardiff and read some of his poems.
"I kind of never looked back,"he explained.
Matt's poetry is mainly comedic, and he enjoys performing for audiences who "didn't like poetry or thought they didn't like poetry."
He appreciates when people change their opinion and realize poetry is "accessible."
"I almost laughed at myself attempting poetry, and then the fact that it resonated with people has been a really nice surprise,"said Matt, adding that he found it "very cathartic."
One of his most well-known poems addresses tourism at Pen Y Fan and went viral online.
"So for instance, the frustration of Pen Y Fan doesn't have to come out of something lashing out against over-tourism,"he said.
"You can just take the mick out of that and people get it from just one line. It sometimes tickles that. You know, like that funny bone."
Matt encourages others to write, describing it as one of the simplest and most accessible ways to express oneself.
He noted that in a technology-focused world where people often become preoccupied with making videos or perfecting production, writing requires only a pen and paper.
"There's really no excuse not to write,"he said.
"It's kind of like if I don't do a poem, I can only sort of blame myself for not writing."
Matt said the simplicity of writing has been "liberating," enabling him to capture ideas anywhere—whether on his phone, on paper, or whatever is available.
"I write on my phone, write about anything I've got on my mind. Whatever is the most fun at the time."
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, a list of organisations that can provide help and support is available via the BBC Action Line.
