Poetry uses a kind of condensed language to show life or feelings, or some other things. In this point, poetry is quite different from prose and novels, so understanding poetry is much more difficult than understanding prose and novels. I can say poetry is the art of literature, using fewest words to express utmost meanings. Poetry is the mirror of our life. No matter which nation it is, once opening its poems, we may find poems recorded every rising and declining of historical period of each nation. Reading poetry, we can know history, politics, economy, reform etc of different countries in various periods. The poetic history is also the nation’s development process. While expressing ideas or feelings or some other meanings, poets often depend on some literary techniques, such as meter, natural cadences, rhyme or metaphor etc. Thus, poetry can express profound meanings in a disguised way.

Poetry is also the philosophy of life. Many sentences of poems become mottos, which leave lasting reputation in the whole world. It has even become the legacy of all human beings. For example, in Shelley’s Ode to The West, there is a famous sentence: “…Oh, wind, If winter comes, can Spring be far behind?” This famous saying has encouraged many people in the world. When they face difficulties, or they are in miserable time, they will think of it as encouragement to lighten their forward way. In this way, we can say that the poem is the important legacy of all human beings.

The following part is an example to see what the real poem is. After analyzing this poem, we may have a clear understanding about the definition of the poem. Here is a poem:

The Faithful Swallow