Achieving For The Greater Good

P: What Is Poetry?*

Poetry, my fine friend

Dine with me, my glorious

May you derive from the Peasant’s end

Or from the riches of Kings

A song known by many

A style hard to comprehend

A Lambic pentameter  

Or simply how one expresses themselves

“My name is Freestyle.” Says the poem taking a sip of tea. “Your favorite style, young sir, I do believe.”

“What am I to you, sir?”

“What is poetry to you, sir?”

My fingers tap on the table as I think.

“At first,” I say. “You were an outlet.”

Then, I began, “You were an experiment.”

“Later,” I stop, “You were an analyzer.”

“Other times you were a general elixir.”

When someone asks you what poetry is, what will you tell them?”

“Freestyle, my good fellow, you are me and my experiences.”

“Poetry is what you make it to be.”

“At the moment you’re an analyzer to me.”

“Yet- my name is Freestyle.” He agrees.

“Some days I get bored and I write to you.” I say.

“Other days I cry to you.”

“Sometimes I scream.”

“Other times you sing to me.”

“So you see.” I say.

“You are many personalities.”

“But mainly, you are my friend.”

“You helped me discover who I am.”

“So I’m more than an outlet?”

“You’re a process in which, depending on the individual, portrays the mental state through recording whether it be by singing, writing, or literally recording.”

Freestlye smiles. “I believe your definition is a person connotation of who I am.”

“No dictionary denotation can bring out who you are, my dearest.” I say with a smile, filling him another cup of tea.

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The Year Around Selected by Alice I. Haretine and Elva S.Smith

What is poetry? By Elanor Fageon