What Does Poetry Do?

The power of the written word can be limitless whether it be to create change, evoke emotion or start a discussion. Poetry has inspired generations of writers and what continues to this day to shed light on the world around us. Whether its Shakespearean sonnet or a contemporary haiku, poetry both influences and impacts readers to view aspects of our world differently. It has the power to change someone's opinion or point of view, simply through words.
The meaning of poetry is an open-ended question. Every poem has significant meanings the poet writes about that can be twisted when a reader looks deeper in-depth into the poem itself. Poetic devices, word selection, images and structure all are included in poems to make them come to life. Thus poetry is a mind-opening experience with concepts that take you on a mental journey.
Many poets write based on how others feel and see certain situations and obstacles. If a poet wrote based on their own opinion, it would be a biased point of view on different subjects. For example if a poet wanted to write on immigration, they could use their own opinion but if they went out and discovered another person's personal experience of immigration it could change how the poem is written and later viewed. They take societies feelings into consideration and write what they feel, for others to read and experience. It also helps society feel that they are not alone in certain situations, which could help people gather together and unite. Which shows if people hadn’t made these decisions, that allowed them to go through such obstacles poets wouldn’t be able to write about their hardships and spread their story.
Poetry also helps by letting these people know of their different experiences and stories which allow others to learn about through a poem, and bring different issues to the world. Most people in the world tend to feel as if they are alone and struggling against the world. In the poem, “The Melting Pot” it says, “Every country they come from, for all different reasons:
Poverty, war, drought, famine, too”, it shows how many different people immigrate from many different places because of different things and situations that they are going through. Of Course it is unknown to others about another person's life, you might not learn about a specific person's life but you will get to learn to give people the benefit of the doubt. Reading a single poem can change the way people view others or their own life. This shows that poetry can have an influence of society, and in many different ways to help the world unite and help other get through their struggles.