For me, I will say poetry is a genre of literature that captures emotions. Poetry gives voice to every creature. The power of poetry allows a poet to express the feelings of both living and non-living through words.
Just last week, we learned different poems in the class. The first was "The Complaint of a Camel." The poet was using words to express the thoughts of the camel, what it goes through, and how other animals enjoy having places to rest and feed, but nobody cares about what the camel eats or where it sleeps. The words the poet used were able to evoke feelings and allow us into the world of camels through mental pictures.
Poetry, unlike other genres, has style and structure. The arrangement and numbering are what help a reader know how many stanzas and lines it has. Poems can be on any subject matter, and that's one unique thing about them. It doesn't have to be too long or short to be called a poem. It is the poet's choice on the number of words, lines, and stanzas he or she wants the poem to have.
The philosophy behind poetry is the inner meaning it has. Poems are not just writings to be read without sitting to understand what the poet is really trying to express and the message. Poems can be written in simple or complex words sometimes depending on the choices of words the poet wants to adopt. I remember my secondary school days and how I read so many poems but never understood any until they were treated in class.
The style of writing can confuse someone who is reading it like a mere story. Understanding why the poem is written and the connection are just two things to consider when reciting a poem. Poets love writing poems in a way that there are rhyming words; this helps to make the poem sound nice, adds color to it, and beautifies the wording.
The meaning of literature depends on the poem and the writer. It's the poet who writes and gives meaning to the concept he is describing. It's also in the place of the poet to use imageries to help readers understand the message the poet is trying to convey. A particular line or stanza of a poem can have lots of interpretations and meanings. I have grown to love so many poets. During my high school days, I was able to learn about many famous poets and the impacts they made on the world at large through their words. Below are just a few I would love to include in this writing:
Williams Shakespeare is not just a poet but also an author. His use of words and exploration of so many concepts make his different works beautiful. “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer Day?" is one of the lovely poems that we recited and learned about. This poem had lots of messages and mental pictures. It was from the poem that I learned that a poem of 14 lines is called a sonnet.
Professor Wole Soyinka is an African poet, and I love to read his works of art. Going through “Night" and "Telephone Conversation,” among many others, made me think that poetry is the easiest way to say so many things in a few but detailed words.