Google Poetics: Creating New Ideas for Poetry in the Digital Age

     When you think about Google, the first thing that you think about probably is not poetry. The blog, googlepoetics.com, will make you think otherwise. This blog is relatively new and was created in October 2012 by Sampsa Nuotio and is run by both Nuotio and the curator, Raisa Omaheimo. Google Poetics is simply a compilation of Google autocomplete suggestions. These suggestions are popular searches by people from around the world. Hence, when one creates a Google Poem, it is not just his or her poem. It is also a poem that belongs to the digital world.

     Google Poetics are a reflection of the world and represent both the individual and the collective. Due to the increasing amount of technology, the social capital in our society is deteriorating. Hence, more and more people experience a sense of isolation. The representative of the individual and the collective treads on the topic of aloneness, but perceives it to be reflective of our current society. 

     Since Google Poetics is a reflection of the world, the lines of the poems vary. The lines range from cheerful to gloomy, and can occasionally be strange or Dadaistic. May lines are the lyrics of songs, making some of the poems rather musical. However, some of the lines could be problematic, which reveal our severely flawed society. One example is an ad by UN Women which show the world’s popular opinions of women through google autocomplete search engines, which reflects the rampant misogyny in our society. The link is here.

     Perhaps I should try to end this post on a more positive note. Here are some of my favorite Google Poems on the blog:

            -Jacqueline Retalis