What Is Poetry?

Poetry is the universal language
which the heart holds with nature
    and itself.
He who has a contempt for poetry
cannot have much respect for
    himself or for anything else . . .
for all that is worth remembering
    in life is the poetry of it.

Fear is poetry, hope is poetry, love
    is poetry, hatred is poetry;
contempt, jealousy, remorse,
    admiration, wonder, pity,
despair, or madness are all poetry.

  ~ William Hazlitt [1778-1830]