The Definition of Poetry

NOUN:

The art or work of a poet.

Middle English, from Old French poete, from Latin poeta, from Greek poietes, maker, composer, from poiein, to create.

What is a poet? The old definition of poet is "creator". God is a poet. We are created in his image, and to this extent all of us are poets. When you make it your life's goal to live as a poet, to live beautifully, and to create things that others will acknowledge as beautiful, or as something that touches them deep within their souls, you are doing the work of a poet. A well kept yard, an appetizing plate of food, a well placed rifle shot by a military sniper, the accomplished lover, the inspiring preacher, all poets.

No one may define poetry except the poet. In like manner no one may define what art is except the artist. Those like editors and curators who may attempt to do so are doomed to failure if they are neither artists nor poets and erroneously presume to know something about it.

Poetry acknowledged as such by hoi polloi is quite another matter. Those who are honest enough to say, “I do not know what art or poetry is (because I am not an artist or a poet), but I know what I like” acknowledge greatness not by reason but by instinct. The work has touched them, not intellectually but emotionally. When great numbers of people rise up and acclaim the poet for this reason then the powers that be give their assent saying “Of course, we knew it all the time!”

If the poet/artist’s colleagues should choose to critically comment upon the poet’s work let them do so in the proper spirit, lest they destroy their fellow in the process, or bring destruction upon themselves by the same unkind scrutiny of their own work.

All poetry, including that which is written, responds to some type of rhythm, regular or syncopated embracing or denying it. It would appear logical to assume that written poetry requires an incredibly large vocabulary, and an excellent command of sentence structure, as well as a broad knowledge of literature, current events, or at least the nature of the world, and familiarity with contemporary and historical slang and idiom. How can one accomplish this task except by becoming a life long reader, and remembering what one has read. It would also seem helpful to have a working knowledge of the different poetic forms, ancient and modern, such as the ballad, the sonnet, the villanelle, the sestina, the limerick, haiku, blank verse, free verse, and stream of consciousness. But even having all this guarantees no more than being able to say that you knew something about history, the English language and poetry. Before all of this you must believe that you are a poet, and that you have something to say.

So what then is our task? Let us attempt to determine if we are poets by aspiring to be such. Let us attempt learn and retain what details of mechanics, grammar, vocabulary, history, and traditions there may be, not only relating to poetry as we are in this class, this semester, but in years to come, about everything in the world. For truly the poets canvas is the world and to hope to understand this poet or that one, we must attempt to understand the world as well. Finally, I think we should attempt keep an open mind about what is good and bad, great and small, when considering the works of the poets, extending the benefit of the doubt as regards their poetic ability, based on a clear understanding of the limitations of our own.

Louis William Rose
April 2003