Lauren Rule- What is a Poem? (Class Topic #3)

What is a Poem? by Charles Ghigna
A whisper,
a shout,
thoughts turned inside out.
A laugh,
a sigh,
an echo passing by.
A rhythm,
a rhyme,
a moment caught in time.
A moon,
a star,
a glimpse of who you are.

This is the poem that I brought to class to discuss. I found it to be short and sweet. It lacks the imagery that Professor Redick shared with us, but it still has the metaphors to make it a good poem. The main reason I was drawn to this poem is because it answers the question of what poetry is! The very question we ourselves are trying to determine. I have always found poetry to be the most diverse form of written expression. A poem does not require rhyming, even though this poem does a nice job of it. Each verse of the poem reveals something about poetry. The entire poem also has a feel of tension about it. "A whisper, a shout, thoughts turned inside out" is describing, at least in my mind, how a poem can be presented. Verbal communication was after all where poetry and all stories got their start. A poem can be private, shared between lovers as a whisper. A poem can be shared with a large group; a poem posted online, after all, will find many listeners/readers. A poem can be a collection of words, thoughts, or feelings that a person decided to put into words; once a thought and now a creation. The second verse, "a laugh, a sigh, an echo passing by" represents the reaction that either brought about the poem or that is evoked by the poem. Humor in poetry is not uncommon; a funny event could have inspired the poem and a laugh becomes the reaction of the audience. A sigh can be both verbal and nonverbal. A sigh can be from exasperation or a feeling of longing or sadness. The moment that brought on the inspiration for the poem is fleeting. The poem can be used to preserve that moment since time will not stop. The rhythm and rhyme are used to give soul to the words of a poem. The moon and the stars are infinite objects that will forever be identified. You, who you are, is less definite. A poem can be dedicated to the infinite objects as tribute. It can also help define who you are. I used to write poetry. I thought they were pretty good, until I read them later and realized I sound very whiny. Most of my poetry was about love. The joy and sorrow that always accompany love. True, when I wrote those poems I was in middle school, but honestly, not much has changed. I'm still in love with love. And even though I no longer write poems about love, I am always interested in reading them!