Poem

A poem is a singular work of poetry that is carefully written or spoken in order to convey some thought as a literary composition. Usually, but not always, the words written are designed to evoke emotion. A poem can manifest itself as a two-word phrase or one thousand-page book.

What is a Poem?

A poem is a form of artistic literature that uses skillful and creative choices of words to create a specific rhythm, rhyme, or pattern which in return achieves a desired emotional effect. Its main medium is words, and instead of sentences it is arranged in lines, and rather than use paragraphs it uses stanzas which play a significant role in creating a unique visual appearance and also create not only an exceptional reader experience but an even better listening experience. That is why even when you are opening up pages of a book, you can immediately tell a poem apart from the rest of the words before you can read it. Even when two different unanimous artists stand on stage and one starts reciting it, you can quickly tell that it is a poem from the rising rhythm, the constant rhyming, and the patterns he/she creates while reading it.

So a poem is a form of artistic literature that skillfully and creatively uses words as a medium to create a particular pattern, rhyme, and rhythm to achieve the desired emotional effect. The emotional impact being targeted varies depending on the occasion, for instance, some poems are created just for fun while others are made to pass a certain point across without having to mention names. For example, some political activists use poems to increase awareness of their politician’s vices without having to name them. Such poems are referred to as descriptive poems because they describe the world of the poet. While other poems are used as lullabies to children and the desired emotional effect is to create comfort and hence induce sleep such forms of poems are known as narratives. Another type of poetry is lyrical poetry in which the reciter expresses their strong emotions and feelings through creative rhymes and patterns of words, and it has been quite common in the 21st century. 

Origin and History

The word poem comes from the Greek poíema, meaning a "thing made." When they are well written, poems go much deeper than the words on a page. The ability to use written words to create images and feelings in the audience marks the skills of a great poet. Much like sculptors have stone and painters have a canvas, a poet's medium for expressive art is writing a poem. Poems are fine art using language, but they are also a state of mind.

Example

She Walks in Beauty

By George (Lord) Byron

She walks in Beauty, like the night 
Of cloudless climes and starry skies; 
And all that's best of dark and bright 
Meet in her aspect and her eyes: 
Thus mellowed to that tender light 
Which Heaven to gaudy day denies. 

One shade the more, one ray the less, 
Had half impaired the nameless grace 
Which waves in every raven tress, 
Or softly lightens o'er her face; 
Where thoughts serenely sweet express, 
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place. 

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow, 
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, 
The smiles that win, the tints that glow, 
But tell of days in goodness spent, 
A mind at peace with all below, 
A heart whose love is innocent!