What's your definition of a poem?

Grocery List

1. Milk
2. Butter
3. Eggs
4. Bread
5.

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Take the above for example, would you consider that poetry? What is your definition of poetry? Do you think there's certain characteristics that are universal across all good poems or do you think how good a poem is subjective, and tied to the audience?

I think it would depend on the title, if it was breakfast, then it would be just a grocery list for breakfast. But if was something like “A Flustered Heart” then maybe I can interpret as something else. It that makes any sense :)

Oh, I'm loving this question!

I'm trying to picture if someone posted this on PnQ. If they left the 5 blank, I would think it's totally intentional and they're posting it on this website and establishing it as poetry because ANYTHING can be a reflection on life, even the most mundane things. Leaving #5 empty makes me think of someone trying to buy the essentials in their life, simply surviving, and wanting more out of this list than food to digest. They're drawing a blank on what else to buy because they're not finding joy or pleasure in simple things we as shoppers might add to our list to make us happy (like chocolates or snacks or little items that aren't necessary, but that we want as a treat). I would also consider it poetry if there were some more existential ideas thrown in there. Non-tangible things like "purpose", "fulfillment". Or even someone writing "loneliness", because it's not something they want, just something they always find and ends up being on their "list" anyway.

My definition of poetry is that there is no definition of poetry. It's art, and if the person who first expresses this chooses to label it poetry, then to me, it's apparent that there is obvious meaning to the original creator... whether we see it that way or not.

And Star, that totally makes sense. Like is the writer using it as a grocery list, just a to-do in their brain, or is the audience able to perceive more from it based on a title that suggests there is more implied than simple ingredients.

A text that makes you think and feel.

As to the suggested List as Poetry, not in my opinion. In fact, even if, as MA suggested, you manipulate the list, I might see it as an extreme Zen koan, but not a poem.

For me, personally, a poem must convey some message. It may have an image to express, or appeal to some other sense in a meaningful way. It may seek to bring the reader to a deeper understanding or appreciation of something. It may even portray something ordinary but in a way that showcases the universality of the thing.

Would this be a poem?

1. Milk
2. Butter
3. Eggs
4. Bread
5. Contrition

What about:

1. Contrition
2. Penance
3. Wine
4. Bread

If a piece of writing can make even one person's soul sing, then it's poetry (to them), but is it a poem? The wonderful thing about art is that it resists being locked in a box.

I googled, "Why is art hard to define?" Here is the first response:

"Art is best appreciated by the right prefrontal cortex (part of the brain), which deals with direct experience. In contrast, definitions are handled by the left prefrontal cortex, which attempts to convert direct experiences into symbols (e.g. words). Hence the difficulty."

Although poetry is symbols (words), defining it can't seem to be done in the same way, unless maybe by defining poetry with a poem? Ha ha :)

Great thread.

Who the heck number bullets their shopping list?

That’s some overtly contrived crap going on so, to me, it’s poetry done poorly.