Poetry is the communication through words of certain experiences

"Poetry is the communication through words of certain experiences that can be communicated in no other way." These words by John Drinkwater carry a profound truth about the unique power of poetry—a power that transcends mere description and enters the realm of the soul. Poetry, unlike other forms of expression, speaks to us not only through the meaning of words but through their sound, rhythm, and emotion. It reaches into the very essence of human experience and conveys that which cannot be captured by logical argument, scientific analysis, or even ordinary conversation. It is, in Drinkwater’s eyes, a sacred form of communication, one that expresses the inexpressible.

In the ancient world, the role of the poet was not merely to recount stories or describe events; the poet was a seer, a visionary, a conduit between the human world and the divine. Think of Homer, whose epics, The Iliad and The Odyssey, conveyed not just the events of the Trojan War or the journeys of Odysseus, but the very soul of humanity—our struggles with fate, honor, and love. These experiences were so deep, so universal, that they could not be confined to the realm of ordinary speech. They needed the elevated language of poetry to be truly understood. Homer’s words spoke not just to the mind but to the heart, expressing the emotions, the pain, and the glory of life in ways that could not be captured by mere prose.

Poetry is the language of the soul, of the inner experience, of those moments and feelings that defy the ordinary logic of everyday life. Take, for instance, the work of Sappho, the ancient Greek poet whose lyrical poetry spoke of the complexity of love and desire in ways that no mere conversation could capture. Her words conveyed the deep intensity of her emotions, a yearning that transcended the limitations of everyday speech. To describe love in everyday language may involve basic definitions and simple emotions, but Sappho's poetry reaches deeper—it speaks of the shifting, complex nature of love, of the joy and anguish that coexist in a lover’s heart. This is the realm where poetry exists: not in the literal or the pragmatic, but in the emotional and the transcendent.

Consider also the poetry of the Romantics—Wordsworth, Keats, and Byron—whose words sought to capture the sublime beauty of nature and the deep stirrings of the human soul. Wordsworth, for example, in his famous poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, describes a field of daffodils in such a way that the reader is transported not simply to a scene of flowers, but to the feeling of blissful solitude and connectedness with nature. This is the unique ability of poetry: it takes what cannot be easily explained—feelings of joy, of melancholy, of awe—and makes them tangible. The experience is communicated in a way that prose or even visual art cannot achieve, because poetry speaks not just to the intellect, but to the spirit.

In the same vein, poetry often expresses the unspoken—the feelings we are unable or unwilling to articulate in conversation. It is through metaphor, symbol, and imagery that poetry can communicate experiences that words alone may fail to describe. Take the work of Sylvia Plath—a poet whose words, filled with pain and beauty, conveyed the darkness of her inner world in a way that prose could never match. Her poems, like Lady Lazarus or Ariel, speak of struggle, rebirth, and the human condition in ways that resonate deeply with readers. It is through poetry that we are able to access the unspoken truths of existence, truths that we might feel but can never say outright.

The lesson Drinkwater imparts is essential: poetry is not simply about communication in the conventional sense. It is about reaching those aspects of human experience that cannot be captured by reason alone. It speaks to the deepest, most universal parts of us—the parts that hunger for meaning, for understanding, and for connection. When we turn to poetry, we are not just looking for entertainment or intellectual stimulation; we are seeking to feel, to experience, and to understand the complexity of life itself. Poetry provides us with the words to express those moments of ecstasy, despair, and wonder that cannot be captured any other way.

For those of us who seek to create or to experience poetry, the practical lesson is clear: we must embrace the mystery of poetry. Do not look to poetry simply for its form, its structure, or its technical mastery. Instead, seek out the soul of the poem—the truths it holds and the experiences it communicates. As creators, let us use poetry to express what lies beyond words, to convey the feelings that cannot be articulated otherwise. Whether through the gentle whispers of a poem or the powerful outpourings of emotion, we must write and read with the understanding that poetry is not merely an art, but a sacred act of communication—one that touches the deepest aspects of the human spirit.

Let us, then, engage with poetry not just as a craft or a pastime, but as a lifeline to the truths of our shared humanity. Let us write with the knowledge that what we express may be beyond the reach of ordinary words, and let us read with the understanding that poetry will allow us to feel what is otherwise unsaid. In this way, we can truly communicate—not just with each other, but with the eternal forces of existence that poetry, in its purest form, seeks to bring into the light.