Poetry is a lot of things to a lot of people. Take some famous quotes from our very own literary greats for example, and you'll see what I mean: "a kind of ingenious nonsense." Isaac Newton. "Poetry is what gets lost in translation." Robert Frost. "Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting with the gift of speech." Simonides. "Poetry is thoughts that breathe, and words that burn." - Thomas Gray. "Poetry is the art of uniting pleasure with truth." - Samuel Johnson. "Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words." - Edgar Allan Poe. "Poetry: the best words in the best order." - Samuel Taylor Coleridge. "A good poem is a contribution to reality. The world is never the same once a good poem has been added to it. A good poem helps to change the shape of the universe, helps to extend everyone's knowledge of himself and the world around him." - Dylan Thomas.
If you really try and absorb what these quotes are saying then you'll begin to see that no-one can really define poetry easily, if at all. In fact, the only way in which you could really define poetry is by its unwillingness to be described.
There are a couple of factors that determine whether something is poetic, they're not content based unfortunately, but they are aspects that can be used to decipher whether something is poetic. Firstly, we have language: all poetry considers the use of words more than any other type of writing. Certain diction is chosen because of its emotiveness, words are repeated, alliteration is used or some words are simply incorporated because they have musical value.
Another defining factor that is present in all types of poetry is purpose. There's always an underlying intention in poetry that goes much further than the literal. It aims to move us, to pull on our heart strings or linger in our brains. That's its ultimate objective and that's why it's such a popular form of writing.
So, there we have it, all we can universally decipher poetry by is its use of language, its form and its purpose. Content is a whole different story as it really depends on the reader. I guess if you really want to know what poetry is, simply read it. Read it carefully. Pay attention. Read it out loud. Now read it again. For ultimately, defining poetry is like trying to grab the wind: once you catch it, it's no longer wind.
A great place to go and explore your poetic prowess is Home House of Portman Square. Come and share your passion for words over wine and canaps in the candlelit and perfumed surroundings of our atmospheric Music Room, where such events have taken place since the 1770s.
If you really try and absorb what these quotes are saying then you'll begin to see that no-one can really define poetry easily, if at all. In fact, the only way in which you could really define poetry is by its unwillingness to be described.
There are a couple of factors that determine whether something is poetic, they're not content based unfortunately, but they are aspects that can be used to decipher whether something is poetic. Firstly, we have language: all poetry considers the use of words more than any other type of writing. Certain diction is chosen because of its emotiveness, words are repeated, alliteration is used or some words are simply incorporated because they have musical value.
Another defining factor that is present in all types of poetry is purpose. There's always an underlying intention in poetry that goes much further than the literal. It aims to move us, to pull on our heart strings or linger in our brains. That's its ultimate objective and that's why it's such a popular form of writing.
So, there we have it, all we can universally decipher poetry by is its use of language, its form and its purpose. Content is a whole different story as it really depends on the reader. I guess if you really want to know what poetry is, simply read it. Read it carefully. Pay attention. Read it out loud. Now read it again. For ultimately, defining poetry is like trying to grab the wind: once you catch it, it's no longer wind.
A great place to go and explore your poetic prowess is Home House of Portman Square. Come and share your passion for words over wine and canaps in the candlelit and perfumed surroundings of our atmospheric Music Room, where such events have taken place since the 1770s.
About the Author:
Home House is a private members club for people from all walks of life, which is part of its uniqueness. Quite unlike many other private members clubs in Mayfair, Home House is a place to enjoy leisure time or the perfect spot for a working day. Home House hosts London's most exclusive poetry evenings in London.
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