What Is Poetry? Ten Observations

This video is the first in a series of introductory talks on the art of poetry. They explore how to read, study, and enjoy poetry. The most ancient art, poetry emerged before writing as a form of song — speech shaped for musical effect. Poetry reveals the full power and range of language and also reminds us that the physical sound and rhythm of words are parts of their meaning. The form a statement takes becomes part of its meaning. In this video I make ten observations about poetry formed over a lifetime of reading and writing it. — Dana Gioia