Poetry And Definition, Essay, Research Paper

“Poetry is to Prose as dancing is to walking.”

Poetry is simply defined by the Webster’s Dictionary as “Metrical writing”, or “Composition in verse”. Literally, a fitting definition, but to the poet, an insult to the work. Simplicity is often considered the enemy to many poets. Poetry is a piece of writing with meaning, poetry can be set out in many different formats, and does not necessarily need to make complete sense. Poetry is whatever you want it to be, whatever it means to you personally and whatever it means to the poet. There are many different forms of poetry and many different devices that can be used with in a poem, these are called poetic devices. Poetry works in many ways, it can be found everywhere, in all its forms.

Poetry is a genre of writing, it can tell a story, make a point, and, most importantly, describe feelings and emotions. Poetry can be traced back as one of the earliest forms of writing. Poetry can be identified by rhyme, syllabic pattern, meter, or sound. All these different aspects of poetry have specific names and conformities within the label. Some poems simply follow basic rules and limits, like cinquains and haiku’s. Others follow a scheme decided by the poet and use different poetic devices, such as alliteration, personification, metaphor, and simile. In many other cases poetry follows no rules and is a pure expression of the author.

Poetry can have many functions. Poetry can, and for the most part, entertains, but it can do much more. Poetry is an expression of feeling and thoughts. It can be an outlet for the poet and perspective for the reader. Poetry can also serve the purpose of education. By reading a poem and experiencing or understanding the feelings and thoughts of the poet, the reader has a better knowledge of people and feelings. Everyone is different and no one Is truly “smart” until they understand and know their surroundings, including the people that surround them.

Poetry can be found anywhere and everywhere. Obviously poetry can be found in books and calibrations but many people over look poetry where it is most commonly found. We all listen to music in some form. Poetry is most common in the lyrics of the songs we all know and love. Poetry is the phrases we repeat over and over. Poetry is the line that gets stuck in our heads the whole day through. Another way poetry is used is in the advertisements we see everyday. Those catchy jingles we hear on the TV and radio are all forms of poetry. Its no “William Shakespeare”, but poetry non the less. “An apple a day, keeps the doctors away”, it’s all poetry.

Poetry has many functions and forms, but can be found everywhere you look. Poetry is a great form of expression. It is one of the fine art forms that can still be found used widely in the modern world. More than just a few rhyming words, poetry is an art, a masterpiece, an expression of the human mind and feelings.