On Poetry: A Limited Discussion

"A complete poem is is one where an emotion finds the thought and the thought finds the words"

~Robert Frost

Poetry is the art weaving words in a manner that expresses the feelings of the writer, and evokes feeling in the reader. It can be highly structured or completely formless. It is a means of sharing one's innermost thoughts and ideas. The spoken poem, particularly that of a spontaneous nature, can express raw and unadulterated feeling. The written medium is better at expressing more developed opinions on a subject. In total, poetry is an indication of a thriving personal and cultural being; it is a tool for evoking thought, feeling, and discussion on a topic; and it is a constant source of new insight and wisdom for years beyond each individual pieces' birth.

Verse, like all art, is a symbol of a vibrant and active existence. Whether this is the existence of a culture, or an individual, this fact holds true. Poetry is a medium through which criticism, reflection, commentary, and praise are manifested. To do this requires a relatively stable intimate environment from which these thoughts are allowed to flow forth. In a distrought environment, the soul, the ultimate source of all poetry, can be overwhelmed. This can so trouble the mind, that though emotion may find thought, thought may never develop further, and take on word. One must exist in a place of stability and place of stimulation to produce poetry continually and of quality.

The poem is a tool as well as a piece of art. It can be used to direct the focus of its reader. The poem possesses extreme power in this respect. In its intimate tone, the poem can address the reader and open them to new thoughts and opinions. They can expose deep wells of emotion, and draw out buried items in the reader. The poem also acts to express the poet's point of view. No poem is unbiased, and therefore all poems are capable of doing these things.

Lastly, all poems provide a subject for analysis, that is, themselves. Far beyond the immediate time of their publishing, and even the era of their release, poems can retain their relevancy by providing deeper insights and with the propositions of new meanings through literary analysis. They can provide sociological understanding, warnings for the future, and appeals to the soul. The poem is a multifaceted gem of literature, the production and analysis of which is a gift to all humanity.

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