Emo poetry

Emo poetry is a form of poetic lyrical expression primarily practiced by members of the emo subculture in the 21st century. Often, emo poems address confusion, depression, loneliness, and anger, all resulting from the world's inability to understand the author.

Characteristics

To be classified as "emo," a poem must contain several of the following characteristics:

• a highly emotional tone;
• stream-of-consciousness writing;
• a simple (ABAB) or nonexistent rhyme scheme;
• references to the flesh, especially the heart;
• overusage of dark, depressing adjectives;
• mentions of self-injury, such the slitting of one's wrists;
• concern over the mutability of time and/or love; and
• disregard for punctuation, grammar, and/or spelling.

History

"Emo" is short for "emotive" or "emotional." The term's direct origin has been the subject of much debate. In the 1980s, the word emo was used to describe a style of alternative rock music. Today, it is a more ambiguous slang term.

Due in part to the Internet, emo poetry can easily be shared and accessed. Blogs, in particular, have promoted the speedy interchange of personal human emotions.