In a world where just about anything and everything can be turned into a digital asset, it’s no surprise that poems are being given the blockchain treatment. What once was the sole domain of novels and short stories, is now being used to store stanzas, haikus, and sonnets.
In April 2022, theVERSEverse, a women-founded NFT gallery that celebrates poems as works of art, received a major grant from the Tezos Foundation in support of literary innovations in web3. The award will help fund initiatives to raise awareness of the potential for literature on the blockchain.
But can a poem really become an NFT?
The answer, it seems, is yes. While the process of turning a poem into an NFT might seem like a bit of a stretch, there are actually some very good reasons for doing so. For one, it allows the author to retain complete control over their work. The whole basis of the blockchain is immutable proof of ownership and provenance. Poets and other creators can choose how and where their work is distributed, and they can be sure that it will remain unaltered for posterity – all without having to go through the process of traditional publishing.
Another benefit of NFTs is that they can help preserve the original work. This is because when a poet sells their poem as an NFT, they can include certain stipulations including how it can be used and distributed. For example, they could prohibit anyone from making changes to the poem or from using it for commercial purposes. This means that the poem would effectively be locked in time, preserving it for future generations.
Additionally, NFTs provide a way for poets to monetize their work in a way that wasn’t possible before. This doesn’t mean poetry reading in smoky jazz cafes and poetry slams are a thing of the past, but the NFT arena provides more exposure for poets and direct contact with prospective buyers who are ready to meet creators on their own terms.
Lastly, NFTs offer an additional revenue stream for poets. While it’s true that many poets write for the love of the craft, there’s no denying that getting paid for one’s work is a nice perk. And with NFTs, poets can do just that. By selling their poems as NFTs, they can receive payments in cryptocurrency.
What would a poem NFT look like? It can be a PDF of the poem itself, a picture of a handwritten poem or a video of a performance piece. Let your imagination run wild and the blockchain will keep it secure.
So, if you’re a poet who’s looking for a new way to store your work, or if you’re simply curious about this burgeoning new market, then converting your poetry into an NFT might be worth considering.
The Fimi NFT Marketplace is open to innovative as well as traditional art from creators across the globe. The marketplace lists music NFTs, video NFTs, graphic design NFTs, canvas painting NFTs, and AI-generated NFTs.
