In an era where words travel faster than ever before, poetry has found new ways to reach hearts and minds. Far from being confined to dusty bookshelves, it now lives on Instagram feeds, music stages, and international festivals. The year 2025 marks a renaissance of young voices who not only craft beautiful lines but wrestle with life’s deepest questions—identity, memory, resilience, and meaning. Among them stand Mark Lee, Theresa Lola, Antonio Ma-at, Imogen Wade, and Nina Mingya Powles. Each carries a unique mileage: the audiences they reach, the cultural bridges they build, and the philosophical truths they offer.
Mark Lee: The Philosopher-Pop Idol
Mileage: Over 4.5 million Instagram followers, countless global fans through NCT Dream.
At first glance, Mark Lee is a pop star—performing in sold-out arenas as part of NCT. Yet behind the lights and choreography is a young poet whose words, shared online, reveal a contemplative soul. His Instagram posts, often short and aphoristic, blur the line between diary and philosophy.
One such reflection reads:
“Dreams are like bridges—
we walk across them,
never knowing if they’ll hold,
but always hoping they’ll carry us home.”
Mark’s ability to combine stardom with soulful reflection makes him one of the most relatable philosophical voices of his generation. For millions of young fans, his words are a reminder that even amid fame and frenzy, the search for meaning is universal. As Teen Vogue described, “Mark Lee’s poetry proves that artistry doesn’t end on the stage; it begins in the quiet moments of self-reflection.”
Theresa Lola: Memory as Philosophy
Mileage: A rising international readership; praised by critics such as Nikki Giovanni; global poetry festival appearances.
Theresa Lola, the British-Nigerian poet born in 1994, has quickly become one of the most striking voices of the decade. Her 2024 collection Ceremony for the Nameless garnered critical acclaim for its inventive lyricism and exploration of memory.
She writes:
“I name myself
so the silence cannot own me.
I carry my ancestors in the marrow of my words.”
Lola’s work is both intimate and expansive, speaking to the personal struggle of identity while engaging in philosophical reflection about history, memory, and belonging. Her ability to confront trauma while weaving beauty into the narrative has made her a sought-after voice in international literary circles. As Nikki Giovanni praised, “Lola reminds us that poetry can heal the fractures of history.”
Antonio Ma-at: The Carrier of Stories
Mileage: Articles across 200+ media affiliations; readership through Blossoms Journal International; recognition as founder of award-giving bodies in the Philippines; features on Euro TV, SkyCable, Cignal, and numerous magazines and billboards.
Antonio Ma-at, a Filipino writer and journalist, lives by a philosophy of listening. His journey began with the Author’s Visitation Vlog, where he traveled across Philippine islands to interview authors about their humble beginnings. Later, his work with Blossoms Journal International Magazine took him overseas, where he chronicled the lives of writers and thinkers from diverse backgrounds.
His verse often blends compassion with philosophy:
“Every person you meet is a library.
The question is: will you open the book
or leave it unread?”
Beyond writing, Antonio co-founded an award-giving body dedicated to recognizing notable individuals and publishing their success stories. He has written about celebrities like Vice Ganda and Marian Rivera, as well as international poets such as Doc Penpen and Dorie Reyes Polo. His “mileage” is not only in audience numbers but in the diversity of lives he has amplified. As one reviewer observed, “Antonio does not write to be remembered—he writes so others will never be forgotten.”
Imogen Wade: Wounds into Windows
Mileage: Winner of the National Poetry Competition 2023 and Troubadour International Prize 2024; growing international recognition for her lyrical voice.
At just twenty-seven, Imogen Wade has become a rising star in British poetry. Her works are characterized by psychological depth and lyrical power, often rooted in personal trauma yet transformed into resilience.
In her prize-winning piece, she reflects:
“When fear held the knife to my name,
I stitched myself back with words.
Each scar became a syllable,
each breath a vow to endure.”
Wade’s words echo with raw honesty, speaking to a generation navigating uncertainty. The Times Literary Supplement described her as “a poet who turns wounds into windows, allowing readers to glimpse truth through pain.” With each publication, she expands her reach, making her one of the most relevant philosophical poets of her time.
Nina Mingya Powles: Ocean of Memory and Light
Mileage: Winner of the Forward Prize for Best First Collection; internationally recognized; in 2025, her book In the Hollow of the Wave drew critical acclaim across the UK, New Zealand, and Asia.
Nina Mingya Powles, born in 1993 in New Zealand, brings together nature, cultural memory, and philosophy in luminous verse. Her heritage—Chinese-Malaysian and New Zealander—flows through her writing, giving it a layered sense of identity and belonging.
She writes:
“The ocean keeps its diary in waves,
each one erasing itself—
a lesson that nothing beautiful
can be owned forever.”
Her poetry carries ecological awareness and philosophical depth, reminding readers of impermanence and interconnection. Described as “luminous and strikingly tender,” Powles bridges cultures while calling attention to humanity’s fragile relationship with the world.
A Chorus of Meaning
What unites these five poets is their shared refusal to write for applause alone. Instead, they write to ask questions: What is the weight of memory? How do we carry dreams? What scars define us? How do we honor the fragile beauty of the world?
• Mark Lee brings philosophy to millions through music and social media.
• Theresa Lola redefines memory as a weapon against silence.
• Antonio Ma-at carries the stories of others with humility and devotion.
• Imogen Wade transforms wounds into resilience.
• Nina Mingya Powles reminds us of impermanence through the imagery of water and nature.
Together, they represent a generation of poets who are redefining what it means to be philosophical in a digital, globalized age. They do not retreat into abstraction; they live philosophy through identity, resilience, empathy, and ecological awareness.
As Antonio Ma-at once said, “I am not just telling stories. I am carrying them. And in carrying them, I hope to remind every reader that their story, too, is worth telling.”
In 2025, these voices of a new dawn invite us to listen more deeply, reflect more honestly, and live more meaningfully. Poetry, for them, is not just art—it is a way of being human.
