What Makes a Poem Political? Eight Poets on Truth, Power, and Why Their Words Matter
What makes a poem political? It’s a question I keep circling back to—especially in a world where books are banned, history is rewritten, and truth is legislated out of existence. The more I ask it, the more I realize the answer isn’t found in abstraction or theory. It’s found in people. In the voices who keep showing up to say the thing out loud. Who document what others bury. Who turn survival into stanza.
In a time where trans kids are targeted, reproductive rights are gutted, and culture is co-opted or erased altogether, poetry is still one of the fiercest forms of resistance. It has long been a vessel for remembrance and truth-telling—especially for those excluded from dominant narratives. It demands to be felt. And when you’re writing from the margins, the act of naming yourself at all is political.
Poets have always used their craft to confront power, reclaim identity, and preserve what systems try to erase. From Phillis Wheatley to Joy Harjo, poetry doesn’t need to scream to speak—it simply survives, slips through the cracks, and insists on being witnessed. I explore this history more deeply in my blog The Politics of Poetry: Why the Margins Have Always Been the Center, which unpacks how poetry has always been political—because power has always tried to silence it.
So I asked some of the most powerful writers I know to share their thoughts: Do you think poetry is political? Why or why not? What they offered is a chorus of conviction, each voice layered with personal history, identity, and truth.
Here’s what they had to say:
Alise
“Poetry, like all art, reflects our times. My father always said (when giving me a lesson in rock and roll's greatest and sometimes niche songs) to "listen to the lyrics, it will tell you everything you need to know about the times. And life."
That has never left me. I was a young teen on the floor sorting through cassette tapes with him as Merry Clayton wailed along with Mick Jagger, ‘war children, is just a shot away.’
And what is music if not poetry? So, what is poetry if not political? Because what are we feeling? We are feeling the weight of our times, and that weight needs to be placed where everyone can see it, if not during the tumultuous time that it represents, then at least to document the tumultuous time for the future. To prove it happened. To prove there were people who felt something and tried to take their words and create something lasting through the oppressive weight and wreckage. Poetry sings the song of the people. Each decade, each generation, artists document their struggles and their joys and how they related to the world around them.”
Alise Versella (@alise0x) is a Pushcart and Best of the Net nominated author of the poetry collections When Wolves Become Birds and most recently Inaccurate Histories, among others. You can usually find her with a gin and tonic and a good book or at www.aliseversella.com
Cyn
“Poetry can be political even when it doesn’t aim to be…[It] is always more than a set of lines that rhyme and make you feel a certain type of way; poetry is also in how we describe the world around us. It is in how we enjoy ourselves and what we expose our minds to. I believe that all literature, but especially poetry, can be political because it gets people thinking. When people think, they want to talk, and when they start talking, they start exchanging ideas and looking for ways to collectively make the world a bit better to exist in.”
Cynthia Rodriguez (@cyn.is.cyn) is a curator, poet, and host of Poetic Drip Open Mic, a monthly event held every 2nd Saturday at ETG Bookcafe in Staten Island. With a heart for community and creativity, Cyn has co-organized Translating Sonnets alongside the Staten Island Shakespearean Theater Company and has hosted events for CUNY-Arts in the Park, Alice Austen House, and Poetry in the Park. Her Poetry in Motion Season 2 video submission reveals how running fuels her resilience and creativity. Cynthia’s work appears in various publications and anthologies, and more can be found at https://linktr.ee/createdbycyn.
Jessica
“Poetry is political because it invokes our First Amendment right, freedom of speech, and us poets choose to write. I fight, for my pain that’s ignored, overlooked, or swept under the rug. Poetry is political, and we must always stand up.”
Jessica Payes (@strongerthanmypain) is a spoken word artist, author, and creative director whose work explores mental health, relationships, and healing. Her debut poetry collection, Manipulated, offers a raw look into depression and emotional survival, while her follow-up, Temporary Lovers, unpacks heartbreak, addiction, and the cycles we break to find ourselves. Known for her powerful performances and striking poetry visuals, Jessica continues to use her voice to inspire, connect, and challenge.
Mal
“Poetry has always been political, rooted in oral traditions that preserved history, rituals, & cultural stories long before being written down or performed. As a White Latina Bisexual Woman from Brooklyn who grew up relatively low-income and witnessed addiction & mental health struggles firsthand, I use my voice as a form of protest! Alongside my fiancé, who is both Black and Disabled, I co-founded Rolling Canvas Collective to ensure that Poetry within OUR community remains a platform for radical honesty and resistance. In a time when human rights are being systematically rolled back, censoring people’s true stories is not an option.”
Brooklyn-born poet and storyteller Mal Speaks (@apoetgrowsinbrooklyn) crafts raw, evocative work exploring grief, love, addiction, and mental health, drawing inspiration from her Puerto Rican and Irish roots, the Universe, the city she loves and calls home, and the smooth rhythms of Jazz. A lifelong creative, she found solace in writing after her father’s passing in 2012, turning pain into poetry. Though she first took the stage in 2020, it was in 2023 that she truly stepped into her voice, later co-founding Rolling Canvas (@RollingCanvas_), a thriving artist collective, alongside her partner. In 2024, she self-published her first zine, When You Know You Know, a collection of love poems. By day, she navigates the plight of finance; by night, she offers her words as a space for reflection, healing, and unapologetic expression.
Dani
“Poetry is a medium that encourages anyone and everyone to speak the truth of their existence. It allows one person or a whole community to shout "I. Am. Here." or "We. Are. Here." When a political system or systems are failing those it is meant to support poetry can become and is a powerful tool of resistance and enlightenment.”
Dani Fallon (@embracingobsession_dani) is a Long Island-based poet and visual artist whose work explores mental illness, relationships, and the evolving complexities of life. With a background in art history and a career in the auction world, Dani blends painting and poetry to create intimate, reflective experiences. Her debut collection, Nothing at All or All at Once, invites readers into a quiet, personal conversation that asks us to consider our place in the world. Visit her website: www.embracingobsession.com
Cecilia
“WE are culture, WE are the society. Politics concerns all of us, and can oftentimes hush the undervalued and under-recognized communities, who house the loudest voices. Poetry is birthed from the bravery of these voices to come alive, in a world where being vulnerable is terrifying.”
Cecilia (@cendana.lova) is a Filipina-American author and poet from the Bay Area. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2015 and has written prose and poetry since high school, concentrating on free verse, photoverse, and spoken word. She currently lives in Oakland, CA. Her latest accomplishment is her self-published 2023 debut chapbook, Shades of Suede, under the pseudonym Cendaña Lova.
Kaniz
“There's a poem by Marwan Makhoul, a Palestinian poet, that goes ‘In order for me to write poetry that isn’t political / I must listen to the birds / and in order to hear the birds / the warplanes must be silent.’ Poetry is inherently political because we are all speaking from a sense of identity, a lived experience. As a Bengali-American daughter of immigrants, my cultural background is an inherently present theme that I explore in my work. My first book centered heavily around identity, and growing up as a part of several marginalized communities that shaped a lot of my early experiences. There is no way for me to perceive or navigate the world without looking through the lens of a South Asian woman from a Muslim household. And in putting my experiences to paper, I create a space for other women like me who are also expected to silence themselves.
There's a power in poetry, a kind of reclamation that can't be described as anything but political. I get to address necessary subjects like gender norms and experiences, mental health, familial culture and traditions. And to do so in my own voice, with unapologetic conviction, is a clear act of resistance against political, cultural, and societal expectations.”
Kaniz Hossain (@awkwardly.khaotic) is a Brooklyn-born, Bengali-American poet, visual artist, and founder of House of Khaos—a creative platform that cultivates space for artists to grow in both craft and community. Her work explores third culture identity, faith, and the complexities of womanhood, brought to life in her two self-published collections, Plucking Petals of Poetry and Blooming Beyond the Boundaries. Through open mics, workshops, and monthly newsletters, Kaniz continues to nurture a vibrant artistic community rooted in connection and expression.
Exoercista
“Poetry is political because no matter the topic, you are asking to be heard. You are using your freedom to speak, even if what you say defies respectability norms or makes people uncomfortable, or perhaps is downright mundane to most. Whatever you say, you are making a public comment, posting a note to fellow constituents, and adding to the cultural record. Seen this way, poets are inherent political actors.”
Exoercista (@exoercista) is a child of Southern California who has called Jersey City home since August of 2018. She is a poet, songwriter, spoken-word performer, gardener, and budding herbalist who exorcises demons by exercising her pen, a process she has termed “exoercismo,” hence her pen-name. She uses art to process personal pain stemming from mental health issues and love and validation addiction, and occasionally also references diverse issues important to her, ranging from electromagnetic radiation to the immigration system.
For Poets Who Want to Publish but Don’t Know Where to Start
Publishing poetry isn’t always straightforward, especially when you’re not writing what the industry considers mainstream. A lot of poets get stuck trying to figure out where their work fits, what options are actually available, and how to move forward without watering anything down.
The truth is, poetry has long been marginalized in the publishing world—deemed too niche, too quiet, or too unprofitable to prioritize. We unpack this in our blog Why Publishing Poetry Is Harder Than Other Genres (But No Less Worth It), which explores why poetry is often overlooked and why that makes it all the more vital to keep writing and publishing it.
If you're ready to begin your publishing journey but unsure where to start, our blog How to Publish a Poetry Book: What Every Poet Needs to Know is a great place to dive in. It breaks down the traditional and indie paths for poets, offering clarity on how to navigate submissions, find the right press, and make informed decisions without compromising your work.
We work directly with poets who are serious about getting their work into the world but need clarity, direction, or support. That might mean helping you understand your publishing options—from small presses to self-publishing—or building a plan to start submitting your work. We offer one-on-one consultations to help you assess your next steps, strengthen your platform, and make intentional choices based on your goals.
We also connect poets with editors who understand the form, the craft, and the politics of poetry. Whether you're working on a manuscript or just starting to gather your pieces, we offer guidance rooted in education, access, and care—because poetry deserves to be seen, and you deserve support that doesn’t ask you to shrink.
Our Galaxy Publishing is an educational and service-based platform that helps writers navigate the publishing industry with clarity, confidence, and creative control. Whether you’re self-publishing, seeking a literary agent, or still figuring out W T F you’re doing, we provide the tools, resources, and support to make your writing and publishing journey intentional, strategic, and powerful.