3. What Is a Poem?
A poem is an arrangement of words containing meaning and musicality. Most poems take the form of a series of lines separated into groups called stanzas. A poem can be rhyming or nonrhyming, with a regular meter or a free flow of polyrhythms. There is debate over how a poem should be defined, but there is little doubt about its ability to set a mood.
Identification
A poem is identifiable by its literary and musical elements. For example, metaphor and alliteration are common in many poems. Another hallmark of a poem is its brevity, or ability to say much in few words. This requires layered meaning, as in the use of symbolism. A common example of symbolism is the bald eagle, which is a bird, but in the United States also represents the nation as a whole. A poem need not rhyme or contain a consistent meter to qualify as such, but those elements are also common to many poems.
Features
A poem can contain any number of features. Usually a poem is broken down into lines and stanzas. They can contain full sentences or just fragments, or a combination. The rules of grammar can be stretched, but this skill is a bit mysterious. Many poets maintain that a poem must demonstrate mastery over one's vernacular even while circumventing it. A poem can be happy or sad, simple or complex, traditional or rebellious.