Were you conditioned by academia to think that love poems, short poems, funeral poems and other forms of poetry are stuffy, profound waxings on the natural world and the human condition?

The best-written poems capture emotions, experiences, or images using a lyrical language. But what exactly is a poem, how is it different from prose, and how should we approach it?

Poetry expresses the feelings we struggle to convey. Open any poetry book for proof: You’ll find love poems for romantic moments, silly rhymes for kids and limericks for when you feel like laughing.

Analyse the poem showing you can offer ideas ... How to approach the question Write about ways in which two or more poems are similar and ways in which they are different. Considerations Try ...