What is 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