A case can be made that emotional stimulus is at the root of all poetry, and poems of emotion are all that there are. Whether the subject is life, physical love, spiritual connection with a deity or another human being, or war, people have always tried to immortalize events in words, both spoken or written.
Religions of the world have given us great poetry. From the Bible to Greek mythology, man's relation to the divine has been a part of his culture. The biblical Song of Moses, the Song of Solomon, and the psalms of David speak of awe, thanksgiving, petition, and praise for the God of Israel. Mythology told stories of the gods and their influence on and interaction with mankind.
Oral traditions brings us epics about heroes and victories. Many of them have been preserved in writing, but undoubtedly others are lost forever. The origin stories of most races are poetic in nature. It is the emotional overtone to tradition that keeps it alive in our memories, while dry history lessons may be quickly forgotten.
Poetry is memorable. Even those who never want to quote from the world's great poets recognize some famous elements. Who doesn't know, 'No man is an island', or 'A rose by any other name...'. 'To be or not to be' may be all some know of Shakespeare, but how many other great men or women of history have even this much place in our memories?
This is why poetry is part of education. We remember important events that have been made the subject of a famous poem, even if we forget dates and other pertinent data. When our emotions are stirred, we remember that Abraham Lincoln was president during the Civil War or that Paul Revere was an American patriot.
Love poems have special significance because almost everyone has his or her own love story. Poets have always known that new love, tragically unrequited love, enduring love, and even love between man and his best friend the dog make popular subjects. The best poetry brings love alive to its readers in a way that they may never have seen it before. The perfect expression of emotion is one of the poet's highest gifts to mankind.
In the days before television, people had more time to spend on poetry. Now surfing the web and watching favorite television serials take up the evening hours. However, people are still writing poetry and reading it for enlightenment and enjoyment. It is an important part of our culture and can enrich life if we make time for it.
Poems of emotion echo our feelings and show us how to understand them. They comfort the sorrowful, speak to the lonely, inspire both young and old, and give tongue to joy and despair. Time spent in reading or writing poetry is never wasted.
Religions of the world have given us great poetry. From the Bible to Greek mythology, man's relation to the divine has been a part of his culture. The biblical Song of Moses, the Song of Solomon, and the psalms of David speak of awe, thanksgiving, petition, and praise for the God of Israel. Mythology told stories of the gods and their influence on and interaction with mankind.
Oral traditions brings us epics about heroes and victories. Many of them have been preserved in writing, but undoubtedly others are lost forever. The origin stories of most races are poetic in nature. It is the emotional overtone to tradition that keeps it alive in our memories, while dry history lessons may be quickly forgotten.
Poetry is memorable. Even those who never want to quote from the world's great poets recognize some famous elements. Who doesn't know, 'No man is an island', or 'A rose by any other name...'. 'To be or not to be' may be all some know of Shakespeare, but how many other great men or women of history have even this much place in our memories?
This is why poetry is part of education. We remember important events that have been made the subject of a famous poem, even if we forget dates and other pertinent data. When our emotions are stirred, we remember that Abraham Lincoln was president during the Civil War or that Paul Revere was an American patriot.
Love poems have special significance because almost everyone has his or her own love story. Poets have always known that new love, tragically unrequited love, enduring love, and even love between man and his best friend the dog make popular subjects. The best poetry brings love alive to its readers in a way that they may never have seen it before. The perfect expression of emotion is one of the poet's highest gifts to mankind.
In the days before television, people had more time to spend on poetry. Now surfing the web and watching favorite television serials take up the evening hours. However, people are still writing poetry and reading it for enlightenment and enjoyment. It is an important part of our culture and can enrich life if we make time for it.
Poems of emotion echo our feelings and show us how to understand them. They comfort the sorrowful, speak to the lonely, inspire both young and old, and give tongue to joy and despair. Time spent in reading or writing poetry is never wasted.
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