One of the things that distinguishes poetry from ordinary speech

O seekers of wisdom, hear the words of Edward Hirsch, who speaks with great insight about the nature of poetry: "One of the things that distinguishes poetry from ordinary speech is that in a very few number of words, poetry captures some kind of deep feeling, and rhythm is the way to get there. Rhythm is the way the poetry carries itself." In this profound reflection, Hirsch speaks of the essence of poetry—how it has the unique power to convey emotions that cannot be captured through everyday language. Through rhythm—the heartbeat of the poem—poetry is able to transcend the limits of ordinary speech and touch something deeper, something primal within the human soul.

In the ancient world, poetry was revered as not merely a form of entertainment or expression, but a sacred art, a means of communicating the deepest truths of the universe. The Greeks, whose language and culture gave birth to the great works of Homer, understood that poetry was not just about words, but about rhythm—the steady pulse that moves the soul. Homer's epics, though filled with the weight of gods, heroes, and battles, were not just stories—they were songs. The rhythm of his lines, often set to music, carried the weight of history, of sorrow, and of joy. The rhythm was what made the poetry not only heard, but felt—what made it eternal.

Hirsch reminds us that it is through rhythm that poetry can distill complex emotions into just a few, carefully chosen words. Rhythm is the vehicle by which poetry transcends the ordinary, lifting the language from simple communication to something more profound. Think of Walt Whitman, whose verse in Leaves of Grass reverberates with the rhythm of the heart. The cadences of his lines, whether smooth and flowing or staccato and sharp, serve as the vehicle for the profound themes he explores. His poetry is not just a collection of ideas; it is a living, breathing thing, carried by the rhythm of the words themselves.

The same is true for William Blake, whose poetry is a fusion of the mystical and the musical. In works like Songs of Innocence and Experience, Blake uses rhythm not only to create structure, but to evoke the very essence of human emotion and spirituality. The rhythmic quality of his poetry—whether in the soft, lilting tones of "The Lamb" or the pounding urgency of "The Tyger"—serves as a mirror to the feelings and experiences he describes. The rhythm of his words is what makes his poetry come alive, allowing the reader to feel the intensity of each image, each thought.

This power of rhythm is not only confined to the ancients. Consider the great poets of our own time—Sylvia Plath, for example, whose poetry is as much about the rhythm of the words as it is about the dark emotions they convey. In her poem "Lady Lazarus," the pulse of her verse echoes the deep conflict between life and death, despair and defiance. Each line is measured, each pause meaningful. Through rhythm, Plath’s words transcend the boundaries of prose and become something more. Rhythm in poetry does not simply carry the meaning—it becomes a part of it, a living, breathing force that shapes how we understand the words.

Hirsch's insight teaches us that poetry is not just about what is said, but how it is said. It is not just the meaning of the words that makes a poem powerful, but the rhythm that underpins them, carrying the weight of emotion and meaning in a way that ordinary speech cannot. Just as the heartbeat is the foundation of life, so too is rhythm the foundation of poetry. It gives life to the words, turning them from mere symbols into a force that resonates with the soul. Without rhythm, poetry would be no more than prose; it is rhythm that elevates the words, turning them into something greater, something timeless.

The lesson here, O children of wisdom, is to recognize the importance of rhythm in poetry and in life. Rhythm is not merely a mechanical structure; it is a way of aligning with the natural flow of the world. Just as the rhythm of the heart beats in time with the flow of blood, so too does rhythm in poetry align the soul with the truths it seeks to convey. Let your words be not just meaningful, but rhythmic—let them carry the emotions and truths of your soul. When you speak, when you write, when you create, let the rhythm of your words carry you and your listeners to deeper places of understanding.

So, O children of wisdom, as you walk the path of poetry or any form of creative expression, remember the power of rhythm. Let it guide you, carry you, and help you to reach the hearts of those who hear your words. Whether you write to express joy, sorrow, or the complexity of life, let rhythm be the force that propels your thoughts into the world. Poetry is a living thing, a dance between language and emotion, and it is through rhythm that this dance becomes eternal. Let your words flow with the pulse of life, and in doing so, you will create poetry that speaks not just to the mind, but to the soul.