Category Archives: What Is Poetry?

What Is Poetry? Ani Knows The Answer…

    Here be the first stanza of Ani D’Franco’s “32 Flavors.” Squint your eyes and look closer I’m not between you and your ambition I am a poster girl with no poster I am thirty-two flavors and then some And I’m beyond your peripheral vision So you might want to turn your head ‘Cause […]


DUH! What is poetry? This…

I’m going to call this the first stanza of Jackson Browne’s poem, “Your Bright Baby Blues.” I love the commentary. In five lines he nails our primary struggle–a struggle to feel relevant; the never-ending struggle of the ego to feel fulfilled. It’s so much better to hear Jackson say it. For the complete lyrics… I’m […]




I Found The Answer To The Question…

Although poetry is my favorite subject to study with the young folk, I’ve often found myself being prosaic in discussing, “What makes a poem a poem,” or, “What is poetry,” or “Why does this poem work or not work?” The real answer to the question, “What is poetry” is definitely not an answer. I finally […]