Modern Poetry

What defines poetry? I think most people would agree that poetry is an art form. If done correctly, it evokes in its readers a very emotional response. Poems can make you laugh, cry, and reflect. When poetry was first written many centuries ago, poets followed a set of unspoken rules to compose their works. Many had a strong rhyme scheme and conveyed a clear message. In today's digital world, the meaning of poetry is transforming. Modern poets rarely use rhyme or meter and are completely redefining the rules of acceptable poetry. With this modern poetry come some positives and negatives. These new versions allow a greater freedom for poets and some really stunning poems have been born with this new wave of poetry. However, I fear that these new rules also set up the world for some truly terrible poetry. Now, I will be the fist to admit that I have no poetic talent. I love poetry but hate writing it. I can sympathize with these terrible works because to be quite honest I've probably written a few myself. What I'm really concerned about is the reaching to define poetry. Poetry should not be a catch all term. It should not simply define everything they does not fall under a novel, essay, short story, or play. It need parameters. I love some modern poetry. Many of my friends received copies of Milk and Honey or Chasers of Light  as their holiday present from me. Yet I worry about people who consider a 140 character tweet to be a poem. It is not the length that concerns, but rather the effort put into those 140 characters. Poetry takes time and thought, and at the end of the day, poetry really just takes emotion. We are losing emotion across all aspects of our lives in the modern world, and it is imperative that poetry does not follow this pattern.