Emotions can be expressed in various ways. People expressed them through songs, movies, paintings, or sculptures, but poetry offered a singular and divine way of conveying emotions.
Known for its unique language, poetry depicted feelings through rhymes, specific sounds and melodic words. Like music, poetry presented a certain rhythm among words, making it easier for people to memorize and relate to what poets said. Imagery played a significant role in poetry, allowing readers to visualize the words.
These factors created the magic of poetry that drew readers into the story and helped them find their unexpressed emotions. Isabella Contreras, sophomore English major, shared her views on how poetry helped people understand emotions and their meaning.
“I think poetry is its own language because when expressing your feelings, it can be hard to find words,” Contreras said. “Poetry helps someone to feel their emotions and creates a new way to share that.”
Contreras emphasized that poems, in their unique way, offered a new way to share and express feelings that people might have struggled with. Poetry reached those still discovering their feelings, drawing in people from different backgrounds, interests and stories.
Grace Flynn, sophomore aviation flight major, explained why poetry created a deeper connection with readers.
“Poetry creates a deep connection with readers because it is an art form that weaves words to spark contemplation and evoke emotion,” Flynn said. “Effectively, opening the door of the poet’s inner heart and thoughts to readers.”
However, many people found poetry challenging. Even with its melodic words and specific rhymes, not everyone could understand it. Dr. Joshua Fullman, professor of English, explained why poetry could be difficult.
“We live in a very distracted society, and poetry is a reflective art. By that, I mean we are forced to slow down and to stop and think about what is being said. Unfortunately, we are not patient enough to do that. This is the virtue of poetry that many people overlook because it takes intellect and time to do that, and most people don’t want to do that work,” Fullman said. “I understand that, but one thing I think poetry teaches us is to be slower and to think about questions like the self, the world around us, God, and those big questions.”
Some poets complicated things further. When they made poems too “sophisticated,” they risked losing their audience because it was harder to understand. Writers found it easier not to exaggerate word choice but to use natural rhymes that flowed better. This style of writing functioned like a song, making poems easier to understand and relate to.
Even though some poems were not perfect, many good poets still shared their thoughts, emotions, and questions about life while uniquely connecting to readers. Dr. Fullman emphasized the importance of poems in life and their divine purpose.
“Because poetry is an art form that forces us to slow down and ask questions, most of the Bible is written in poetry. For example, in the Psalms, all prophets use symbolic language to communicate an idea. That thought means that God is not simply interested in giving us the Law and telling us what to do, but He wants us to read His thoughts and to think deeply about what it means, what is being said, and how it is all connected to Christ,” Fullman said. “So poetry, because it is slow, thoughtful, reflective, and symbolic, is a great medium to take big ideas and make them accessible to us. But, just like I said, we have to do the work to think about it and try to hear more spiritually what God is trying to tell us.”
While some believed poetry was too difficult to comprehend, others felt it mirrored their feelings. However, poetry’s ability to improve people’s lives remained constant. In a society where everyone rushed, poetry served as one of the various art forms that redirected paths in life, revealing its divine purpose.
