What is poetry?

There's more to consider about poetry than just its
definition.  When we want to write down our thoughts, there are essentially three
choices:  list, prose, or poetry.  A list is just that--a series of words which have a
fairly loose connection and there is no real attempt to communicate anything with them
beyond the obvious.  Prose is anything written in sentence form, ranging from a
paragraph to a novel.  In prose, writers can utilize images as well as words to create
meaning.  The structure of prose is such that there are rules and conventions to which
writers must generally conform.

Poetry, though, is another
form of expression entirely.  It uses words and phrases, senses, and imagery--generally
in their most condensed, compressed, or compact forms--to create meaning.  All the
extraneous elements are omitted, leaving those words and images to draw a picture for
the reader.  It may be more or less structured, but it's a condensation of longer and
more wordy prose and the effect is generally much more powerful.