What Is a Poem?

A poem is an arrangement of words containing meaning and musicality. Most poems take the form of a series of lines separated into groups called stanzas. A poem can be rhyming or nonrhyming, with a regular meter or a free flow of polyrhythms. There is debate over how a poem should be defined, but there is little doubt about its ability to set a mood.

Identification

A poem is identifiable by its literary and musical elements. For example, metaphor and alliteration are common in many poems. Another hallmark of a poem is its brevity, or ability to say much in few words. This requires layered meaning, as in the use of symbolism. A common example of symbolism is the bald eagle, which is a bird, but in the United States also represents the nation as a whole. A poem need not rhyme or contain a consistent meter to qualify as such, but those elements are also common to many poems.

Features

A poem can contain any number of features. Usually a poem is broken down into lines and stanzas. They can contain full sentences or just fragments, or a combination. The rules of grammar can be stretched, but this skill is a bit mysterious. Many poets maintain that a poem must demonstrate mastery over one's vernacular even while circumventing it. A poem can be happy or sad, simple or complex, traditional or rebellious.

Function

The hallmark of a poem is that it says much in few words. It can exist within a framework of prose, or it can exist on its own. Its chief function is to lend insight, poking its nose into unseen corners, sniffing out signs of life where none were detected before. A poem can evoke awe, inspire action or provide food for thought. It can provide an amusing escape (as in humor), or it can command solemnity (as in religious hymns). A poem can also function as an end unto itself.

Benefits

The benefits of a poem often begin where those of prose leave off. A poem can stretch the rules of grammar a bit more, using inventive line breaks or punctuation to accentuate a phrase. Poetry emphasizes the musical use of words for their own sake in addition to providing meaning and context. Brevity is another notable benefit of poetry.

Expert Insight

The celebrated American poet Edgar Allan Poe said, "Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words." He believed that a poem was there to be an aesthetic thing unto itself, not just a vehicle for some other agenda. On the mysterious and ineffable nature of what constitutes a poem, the poet-naturalist Henry David Thoreau said, "My life has been the poem I would have writ / But I could not both live and utter it." In other words, poetry has a life of its own.