Initial Reflection

Easier to think of poetry as a feature rather than a distinct form. We recognize this feature through techniques such as line breaks, greater attention to syllable count and/or placement, greater attention to the rhythm of the work, and so on. However, as poetry exists in various cultures all over the world and across history, it may prove impossible to pin poetry down with a single set of sensibilities. Rather than thinking of poetry in types such as the sonnet or haiku, it seems more correct to see poetry as an application within the confines of the sonnet or the like. In this way, an essay, for example, may utilize poetic devices even if one would not classify it as poetry.