April is Poetry Month. What makes poetry different from other forms of writing? Poetry uses an economy of words to paint a picture, amplify an emotion, or provoke deep thoughts.
Word Pictures
Some poems use words that create a visual representation for the reader. 
Color, shape, and texture portrayed in fresh ways help the reader experience what the poet sees. These poems plop the reader into a setting, as if they are there. Poets carefully select their words to bring a specific place or landscape to life. Nature often figures prominently in this type of poetry.
Emotion
Another type of poem is one that amplifies an emotional event. It tugs at your heartstrings, elicits anger, or magnifies shame. The point of this type of poem is to give the reader a gut reaction. Emotions are powerful motivators and the poet who can instill a response from their reader is on the right track. Love poems fall under this category.
Thoughtful
Yet other poems demand thoughtful reflection from readers. These poems ask
the reader to contemplate how they feel about social injustice, environmental destruction, or some other obstacle to be overcome. Sometimes the reader is merely asked to look inside themselves to examine a flaw or analyze their reasoning. Perhaps the poet simply wants the reader to look at the ordinary in extraordinary ways.
Invoke, Evoke, Provoke
Whether poetry invokes a picture, evokes emotion, or provokes deep thought, it generally does so with as few words as possible. Rhymed poems limit word count to maintain rhythm while specific poetic forms have strict rules regarding words per line, or lines per stanza. Here is a link with 168 different poetic forms. Poetry Month is a perfect time to try your hand at poetry. Join the Writer’s Digest 2025 poem a day challenge here.
