Photo: Courtesy of iemoji. Never been wooed by the poetic works of literary greats like Walt Whitman and Robert Frost? Then forget books and pull out your phone instead. According to Styleite, besties Carina Finn and Stephanie Berger are what you would call emoji poetry experts, proving that words aren't the only way to show a form of self-expression. In case you're not familiar, emoji are ideograms (smileys, etc.) used in Japanese electronic messages. Their use has extended outside of Japan, and there are even sites that will convert messages on your computer, too.
But, for Finn and Berger, emoji isn't just fun and games. The dynamic duo uses the "picture poetry" of sorts to communicate about everything from their wardrobe to their lovers. “Carina Finn is the type of woman who carries her iPhone around in a pink, purse-shaped, silicone case that says, ‘Cliché’ on it. She also uses a lot of emojis when she texts. As I understand it, that urge to write a poem suddenly came over her as she had her emoji keyboard open in August of 2012," says Berger, who is, despite her emoji addiction, co-executive director of the Poetry Society of New York.
Curious? Check out a couple of their poems here, complete with a written translation. Even if you're still a die-hard poetry fan, there's no denying that this is a pretty creative way to make a statement. (Styleite)