When you ask what something is, you realize your knowledge of the subject is limited. Inquiring about poetry actually shows us that this art, which is deeply ingrained in life, may have a much broader scope than we realize and could be even closer to us than we think.

Defining poetry is very difficult, and indeed, within literature, there is always an ongoing debate about what poetry is and how it should be. Essentially, defining poetry negatively might be the most practical approach. An expression like “Poetry is not prose” indicates the summa divisio between verse and prose, while preventing us from confining poetry within rigid boundaries. It freely reigns over all areas beyond prose.

However, it’s natural for there to be differences between definition and manifestation. While poetry shows diversity in style and content, it often possesses certain features that we frequently encounter during its composition, although they are not obligatory. For example, poems use words to evoke specific emotions or convey ideas by employing both literal meanings and connotations. Poems are usually written in lines, which are shorter than traditional sentences called verses. Poetry utilizes the richness of meaning and expression through figures of speech. It allows the reader a much broader interpretation than prose. Poetry doesn’t attempt to be a reflection of reality or an idea on paper; rather, it comes into being through uses of words beyond obvious meanings and common idioms. This makes poetry valuable not for the information it carries but for the impressions it evokes in the reader.

One traditional debate in poetry concerns whether poetry should appeal to the ear or the eye. This is the crux of the matter. Time is allotted not for what poetry talks about or the idea it conveys but for the impression it leaves, whether in the eye, the ear, or the mind, while being read or after. At the same time, like in all arts, poetry is written by individuals who seek to express themselves using the impression that poetry can create.

Recaizade Mahmut Ekrem, 19th century ottoman writer and literary critic, explains it beautifully ‘Everything beautiful, from embers to stars, is poetry.’ The ability of poetry to address any subject is a product of humanity’s greatest quality: the ability to communicate. It is our verbal effort to be ourselves. It’s a painted picture made of words or a sculpted statue. Heidegger describes language as “the house of being”. If there’s a painting hanging in this house, it’s poetry.

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