What is Poetry?

You already know that poetry is difficult to define. Poetry truly cannot be defined in one carefully crafted sentence like you would find in any dictionary for just about any other word in the English language. Poetry is just about anything. A loose definition for poetry is that it is a spoken or written literary genre in which feelings and ideas are expressed through rhythmic language

Suppose you were told to write a poem for your teacher. The teacher did not provide you with any guidelines; he or she simply told you that you must write a poem. One student creates this poem:

"An eagle flies through dark of night,
in search of shaking prey.
A muskrat bows to Eagle's flight,
wishing it were day.
I am that fowl who flies so high,
still looking for my dream.
But all that I can do is sigh,
and live my life extreme."

Another student creates this poem:

"Light switch on the wall."

Are both of these poems? Yes, they are! The first student feels that poetry is all about rhyme, rhythm, and a deeper meaning. The second student believes that poetry is whatever he wants!

Poetry can be whatever you want; however, there is a huge difference between good poetry and bad poetry. The first poem seems to have a great deal of thought behind it. It is carefully crafted with a rhyming message to the reader through the verse and symbols. On the other hand, the second poet simply threw out words for the reader; the poem does not seem to have much thought behind it. There might be some symbolism in it; however, the reader has no idea what it is without talking to the poet first. The first poem stands alone, and it can be interpreted. The second poem is a mystery that may never be unlocked.

Major Types of Poetry

There are many different types of poetry, but some are more common than others. In this interactivity, examine the five major types of poetry by clicking on each of the bars in the "accordion." As you learn about each type, make note of its characteristics. You will analyze all five poetry types in this course. Click the player button to begin.

View a printable version of the interactivity.

 

Elements of Poetry in "Casey at the Bat"

Written by Ernest Thayer in 1888, “Casey at the Bat” is a comical ballad about a small-town baseball team and their star player. When the poem starts, a game is in its last two innings and the home team is losing. In this interactivity, you will spend a few moments reading and listening to the poem. As you do, take note of anything interesting that you notice about the poem. After the poem, you will examine some of the different elements of poetry in “Casey at the Bat.” Click the player button to begin.

View a printable version of the interactivity.

 

What is Poetry? Review

Now that you have learned the basics of poetry, review your knowledge in this non-graded activity. Drag and drop each of the definitions on the right to match them with the correct term on the left. Then, click SUBMIT to check your responses. Click the player button to get started.