At what point did language become complex enough to allow the creation of poetry that was more than just rhyme

Question

At what point in the hisotry of the human species did language evolve to a degree of complexity that allowed for the creation of poetry that was metaphorical, and perhaps spiritual or visionary as well?

Answer 1

I think you've got it a bit backwards.

Words, thoughts, concepts, feelings, spiritual meanings most likely would have existed in a more primitive form long before language "evolved" to include rhyming.

Answer 2

My theory is the realization of meter, metaphor and human spirit developed along the same time line as rational thought, the notion that body is something organic and endowed with something extra giving life and consciousness, self consciousness, dream and the language differentiating emotion from the bodies pains and pleasures. The notion of life without body.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationalism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operator_%28linguistics%29

Words I name operator-words e.g., if, the, a, an, but, and, is, not, ... and combinations, as if, as a, as the, if a, ... etc.. and punctuation symbols such as (e.g.), the period (.) the comma (,) capitalization for first word defining sentence start, period then space ending sentence. (. ) are inventions that signify linguistic elevation.

Answer 3

Your question is a reversal of historical event, the human race has been proved to be more spiritual and relied on instinct and the world around them to write on their own experience and it is after years of observation that we strung a rhyming.

Answer 4

i'm not sure
i dropped my dime
can't answer your question
cuz i have no time