Poetry, Going Further Than Words Can

"To be or not to be, that is the question."

This famous saying by Shakespeare, from Hamlet, is a perfect example that shows how words can communicate more than their normal and usual concept.

A typical poem actually has separate characteristics than usual words. This is evident by the fact that people have recognition of poetry in any language. A study that was done revealed that people had recognition when a person was reading poetry and when he was talking normally, even though the tests were done on poetry of a different language which was unknown to the person listening to the poem.

This is regardless of the fact that poems often rhyme, such as with limericks, poems still communicate and read differently than just a sentence.

See if you can "feel" the difference in these sentences.

My teacher Ms. Diaz is not very nice. I came to class today and she told me to be quiet, but I know that she meant "shut up." I would much rather be home sleeping.

Ms. Diaz the witch

She wants me to shut my mouth

I will not submit!

Did you notice any difference? Basically, the changes can be summed up to:

1) Poems generally say more than the words mean by themselves

2) Poems normally have some specific form

3) Poems are written in ways that people might not normally talk, unless they are acting in a drama.

But really, these rules are not set in stone. Poems actually do read differently, they are a communication of something beyond normal communication. Someone had something important enough to say that he wanted to express in a more beautiful way. Or sometimes in a more emphatic way (in the case of an angry, lonely or sad poem)

Examples:

(Haiku about breaking up)

She cheated on me

I gave her all of my love

But she barfed on me

(Haiku about having no friends)

I see them laughing

I will not go close to them

I hate those damn snobs

Poets can communicate at a higher level than a normal writer. However you will find that most good writers at least have an ability to write poetry, even if they do not do it often or do not care for it much. Any person can write a haiku, even children in elementary school as is done in many public schools as a way for kids to express themselves.