Right words in poems

Is using simple words better than brain teasing ones to the reader

It depends on whoever is reading. I personally think that a good vocabulary in a poem is good, but I don't want scientific terms either. A poem with small words is going to get very dry and un-attracting. Also if a poem has a million large words it messes the flow of the poem up because I am constantly looking in the dictionary to see what in the world that means. :P Just have a poem with a equal balance of understandable words that aren't extinct and every day words as well. :]

Hope this helps some. :]

It isn't about the size of the word... it's about how well you handle it.

You know.

; )

I couldn't agree more :D

Not only does it depend on the audience you have but it depends on how you view the direction of the poem. What kind of impression do you want to leave the audience with? If you want to make a point and leave them thinking then tease them, but if you just want meaning about the subject don't over do it. I hope this helps to some extent.

I have always perceived a poem as a condensed story. While a novel may progress sentence to sentence a poem unfolds by the diction chosen by the writer ,word by word. although as the other responses already stated that is only targeting an audience that would comprehend the vocabulary. so i guess ultimately its all relative to the situation

As A poet and a poet who gets complimented on his choice of words, often, I think the key is choosing words that fit your poem and what you are trying to do. What do you want a word to evoke or highlight. You should use your chosen words to evoke a thought, picture, or emotion (feeling), or to highlight (support) another or other words in your poem. Use the appropriate words and your poem will be appropriately appreciated, so, you have to find (choose) those words that fit your poem and what your trying to do with it (accomplish). Also, I would suggest that you choose words that possess strength, eloquence, or beauty, but remember they still have to fit your poem. It's not a matter of simple or brain teasing but well chosen words that fit your poem.

If I have to look up every other word in the dictionary because I don't know what they are, I probably won't like the poem. If every other word feels like you've been snooping through a thesaurus to make it sound more "complex" or "sophisticated", I probably won't like that either.

Extensive vocabulary has a right time and place to me. If it works in the poem, use it, but if it clogs the line and interrupts the flow, maybe a simpler word would work better. To me, if you have complex ideas with complex words, it's overload. If you have simple ideas with simple words, it's lackluster. Finding a healthy balance in between is usually what peaks my interest.

Personally, when I write I get in a different mindset, and I use big words correctly, but once I'm done I dont always understand the words I use. Its a really weird concept. This different mindset knows the big words.

I mention that because sometimes I get in the same zone when I read, so i can understand it better than I normally would. And I feel that what comes with the bigger words, is a more specific description. You can say somebody is bad, or you could say dangerous or malicious, or ignorant.

With those examples, I feel like their is a tier system for words. Level one would be bad. Two would be dangerous. Still common, yet not used too often. Tier three would be ignorant. More times than not, it is not used. People would rather say stupid, which is a word you wouldnt want to use in poetry about deeper subjects.
Malicious is a Tier four loaded language word. Using that give a mood no other words can. That is exactly what tier four words are. Not only can you hear them when spoken, but you can feel the mood it brings, even by the way it sounds.

So depending on the subject content, audience, and style, you would want to use those bigger words in order to get across an accurate message, for after all.. that is what poetry is about. Not the little words

I agree with BRITT also :D