Platform Poetics and the Algorithmic Lyric: Digital Media, Multimodality and Participatory Authorship in Contemporary Anglophone Poetry
Abstract
This research paper explores the transformation of contemporary Anglophone poetry within digital environments shaped by social media platforms, algorithmic systems, multimodal communication, participatory audiences, and generative artificial intelligence. It argues that digital poetry represents more than a technological method of distribution; rather, it signifies a fundamental transformation in the processes of poetic production, circulation, reception, and authorship. In the digital age, poems no longer exist only as printed textual objects but increasingly function as dynamic cultural events embedded within networks of interfaces, algorithms, readers, and technological infrastructures.
Through the theoretical concepts of platform poetics and the algorithmic lyric, this study examines how digital platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and AI-assisted creative environments influence poetic form, visibility, performance, and literary value. The concept of platform poetics is used to analyse how technological affordances, recommendation systems, engagement metrics, and platform economies shape the creation and circulation of poetry. The algorithmic lyric further investigates how contemporary poetic voices operate within environments where personal expression intersects with algorithmic visibility, quantified audiences, and digital attention economies.
The study highlights the increasing importance of multimodality in contemporary poetry, where written language interacts with visual design, typography, images, sound, music, video performance, and interactive features. It examines how digital platforms encourage new forms of poetic expression that challenge traditional boundaries between text and performance, author and audience, and publication and participation. Furthermore, the research investigates participatory authorship by exploring how readers contribute to the social life of poems through sharing, commenting, remixing, adapting, and circulating digital poetic works.
How to Cite
Esshu Solanki, "Platform Poetics and the Algorithmic Lyric: Digital Media, Multimodality and Participatory Authorship in Contemporary Anglophone Poetry", Vol. 4, Issue 2, 30-05-2026, pp. 104-113.
