What is Poetry?

Meaning of the word Poetry:

Poetry is a word of Greek origin. It comes from a verb with means “to make, to create”. A poem is “something made or created”. The poet is the creator and language is the material out of which s/he creates his/her work of art.

Origins:

The precise origins of poetry are unknown. It is a very ancient art which was born as an oral form and accompanied by simple music and dance. it expressed what people regarded as meaningful and memorable in their lives: natural disaster, births and deaths, brave actions, dangerous enemies, battles, etc.
It was often part of religious rites. Poets and listeners enjoyed playing with words, choosing and arranging them to produce music and meaning.

What a poem is:

Today poems exist in printed form, but the careful choice and arrangement of words still account for the unique quality of poetry.

Like other literary works poetry is made up of words. But what is special about poetry? How is reading poetry different from reading prose? A good start to answering the question is to consider what poetry is concerned with: poems.
A poem is a self-contained text, which makes sense as it stands. It differs from prose most obviously because it is written in lines whose length is decided by the author, not the printer.

How the poem looks on the page, its visual lay-out, is as important as its sound quality. A poem makes intense use of language, which results in a fare greater concentration of meaning than is commonly found in prose.

Guidelines for reading Poetry:

In approaching a poem, you can ask the text some simple questions which should help you to understand it:

– What is the poem about?

– Who is the voice speaking in the poem?

– To whom is the poem addressed?

– How is the poem written?

– Why has the poem been written?

Then… just enjoy it 🙂