Poetry noun 1. the art of rhythmical composition, written or spoken, for exciting pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, or elevated thoughts.

2. literary work in metrical form; verse. 3. prose with poetic qualities. 4. poetic qualities however manifested: the poetry of simple acts and things. 5. poetic spirit or feeling: The pianist played the prelude with poetry. 6. something suggestive of or likened to poetry: the pure poetry of a beautiful view on a clear day.

Poetry (ancient Greek: poieo = create) is an art form in which human language is used for its aesthetic qualities in addition to, or instead of, its notional and semantic content. It consists largely of oral or literary works in which language is used in a manner that is felt by its user and audience to differ from ordinary prose. It may use condensed or compressed form to convey emotion or ideas to the reader's or listener's mind or ear; it may also use devices such as assonance and repetition to achieve musical or incantatory effects. Poems frequently rely for their effect on imagery, word association, and the musical qualities of the language used. Because of its nature of emphasising linguistic form rather than using language purely for its content, poetry is notoriously difficult to translate from one language into another. In poetry, it is the connotations and the "baggage" that words carry (the weight of words) that are most important. These shades and nuances of meaning can be difficult to interpret and can cause different readers to "hear" a particular piece of poetry differently. While there are reasonable interpretations, there can never be a definitive interpretation. Qualities of poetry Rhythm: This is the music made by the statements of the poem, which includes the syllables in the lines. The best method of understanding this is to read the poem aloud. Listen for the sounds and the music made when we hear the lines spoken aloud. How do the words resonate with each other? How do the words flow when they are linked with one another? Does sound right? Do the words fit with each other? These are the things you consider while studying the rhythm of the poem. Meter: This is the basic structural make-up of the poem. Do the syllables match with each other? Every line in the poem must adhere to this structure. A poem is made up of blocks of lines, which convey a single strand of thought. Within those blocks, a structure of syllables which follow the rhythm has to be included. This is the meter or the metrical form of poetry. Rhyme: A poem may or may not have a rhyme. When you write poetry that has rhyme, it means that the last words of the lines match with each other in some form. Either the last words of the first and second lines would rhyme with each other or the first and the third, second and the fourth and so on. Rhyme is basically similar sounding words like cat and hat, close and shows, house and mouse etc. Free verse poetry, though, does not follow this system. Alliteration: This is also used in several poems for sound effect. Several words in the sentence may begin with the same alphabet or syllable sound. For example, in the sentence "Many minute miniature moments," the sound of the alphabet M is repeated in all the four words continuously. When you say those words aloud, the sound effect generated is called Alliteration.

Simile: A simile is a method of comparison using the words like or as. When, in a poem, something is said to be like another it means that the poet is using Simile to convey his feelings about what (s)he is describing. For example, in the statement Her laughter was like a babbling brook, the poet is comparing the laughter of the girl to the sound made by a babbling brook. Note that babbling brook is an example of Alliteration. Metaphor: A metaphor is a method of comparison where the words like and as are not used. To modify the earlier example, if the statement used had been something like Her laughter, a babbling brook, then it would be the use of Metaphor. Theme: This is what the poem is all about. The theme of the poem is the central idea that the poet wants to convey. It can be a story, or a thought, or a description of something or someone anything which is what the poem is all about. Symbolism: Often poems will convey ideas and thoughts using symbols. A symbol can stand for many things at one time and leads the reader out of a systematic and structured method of looking at things. Often a symbol used in the poem will be used to create such an effect.

What Are The Main Elements Of A Poem There are seven basic elements of poetry, which that comprise together to form an interesting poem. The main feature of all these seven units is to provide easy-to-read flow, synchronized expression and necessary meaning to a composition. Theme A poem is not written randomly. Several thoughts and expressions are synchronized together, to give a proper theme to the poem. In fact, the theme can be described as the soul of a poem. It is the actually what the poet wants to express through his words. It may either be a thought, a feeling, an observation, a story or an experience. Symbolism The expression in poetry is often not direct. Rather, it makes use of several symbolic and virtual substances and themes to express the deep hidden meaning behind the words. The use of symbolism gives a more reflective empathy to the poem. It is one of those basic elements of a poem that are conceived at the very beginning of the composition. Meter Meter is the basic structure of a poem. It is conceived right after the theme and symbolism of poem have been finalized. This is point where a poem takes an entirely different structure from that of prose. Every line in a poem has to adhere to this basic structure. The entire poem is divided into sub-units and it is made sure that a single unit conveys a single strand of thought successfully. Rhythm For a smooth flow of expression, a musical symphony in the poem is compulsory. A dry and broken piece of literature can never ever be good poetry, despite having a good theme. However, it is not the rhyming between two words of consecutive lines, rather the resonation of words along with the sounds and the music produced, when the poem is read aloud. This musical link must not be missing in a poem.

Other Elements Rhyme A rhyme may or may not be present in a poem. Free verse variety of poetry does not follow this system. However where present, the pattern is present in different forms, like aa, bb, cc (first line rhymes with the second, the third with fourth, and so on) and ab, ab (first line rhymes with third and the second with fourth). Rhyme has a very significant role in providing rhythm and flow to poem, which further helps in maintaining the reader's interest.

Alliteration This element of poetry is also not compulsorily inculcated. However, most of the poets use it in order to give their poem a beautiful sound effect. In this, several words in a line may be beginning from the same word as for example say 'M', say 'musical melody of the mystic minstrels'. Alliteration is basically a way to adore the poetry. Simile Simile is a way to add interesting comparisons in the poem, not only to adorn the beauty of the composition, but also to make the lines more expressive and understandable. In simile, comparisons are made using like or as. For example her laughter was like a babbling brook. This is another important, but optional element of poetry. Metaphor Metaphor is one another way used to include interesting comparisons in a piece of poetry. Here, the comparisons are much more complex than the simple like or as of simile. For example while expressing himself as a vibrant and 'happy go lucky' personality, the poet may compare himself with a rainbow. A poet may or may not use this element in his/her poetry.

A Forever Love
From the moment you two first met It was love at first sight It seemed as though nothing else in the world mattered Together everything felt so right You completed one another Two souls became one As you embark on a journey through life together Youll forever bet eternally bonded With a never ending love Each day will be an adventure Some days better than others But these obstacles are little tests of life Faced by all lovers Many people spend their whole lives Searching for that special someone With hard work, honesty & love Your intertwined souls will never come undone We wish you the best of luck On this new life youve created The day has finally come And for so long weve waited So as we raise our glasses for this toast We wish you the best of luck on Youre new life As from this day on You will forever be husband and wife Poem by CJ Stevens 2005