What makes a poem a poem and not a short story; what is the diffrence between both of them?

Question

I really don't see the big diffrence!!

Answer 1

it depends on the poetry.
what some call free verse is nothing but a paragraph chopped into small lines sometimes with little or no punctuation so that it much like 1 large run-on sentence on many short lines.
It would
look
something like
this and make
little
or no sense
in this form you have to
rewrite it and
add your
own
punctuation to
see what
it says even
if you
must do it
in your
head.

That's not poetry
Poetry has rhythm
Poetry flows so that it reads easily.
Some poetry rhymes.
Some rhyme every line, some every second line, some rhyme the first, second and fourth lines. It is a matter of preference of the writer.
Poetry in it's truest sense, could be called a short story, for good poetry does tell some type story.

Clear as mud?
This is a poem, you tell me if it is a short story.

Miles
No matter where I lay my head,
In this old world so wide.
I know that when I close my eyes,
You'll be right by my side.
For even though twelve thousand miles,
Between us two may be.
You're only one sweet thought away,
From being here with me.
No matter where I hang my hat,
In far off time or space.
I just close my weary eyes,
To see your lovely face.
When thoughts of you race through my mind,
My face will be all smiles.
For I can feel your hand in mine,
Across the endless miles.
I feel your love caressing me,
I feel your loving glance.
I'll reach out with a pleasant thought,
I'll ask you for this dance.
I hear the music in my head,
It's such a lovely song.
It's all about two special loves,
Who are where they belong.
So as I roam this big wide world,
Your love will keep me true.
For no one else can light my fire,
Because, dear, I love you.

exit dondi, stage right

Answer 2

Hmm... That's hard to explain... I guess 1 easy way to explain it, would be that a poem can tell the tale, in a more 'mystical' way. Bringing you deeper into emotions. Painting you a simple picture of a simple event. 1 thing.

A short story can go further than that 'n be more...literal and more 'materialistic' than a poem. A short story you have pretty much no restrictions. You can talk as if it's happening to you, in 1st person, and explain the events 'n what's happening like a normal, everyday person.

A poem needs flow 'n feel. No, you don't need to talk like a caveman or anyone from the 1800's. But it'd mean less 'n not really be considered a poem if you just simply explain your feelings and emotions with no creativity. If you just said, 'I feel like' or 'felt like this, this 'n that', then that's not very poetic... It's not poetry.

In some aspects, I guess you could say you a poem is a shorter short story. Where as a short story is well...a short story... Like a chapter or 2 in a book, almost. A poem you try to sum-up that chapter or 2 in a page or 2. You try to capture the basic essence of it all.

A short story is basically a tale. A small or short or even simple tale to be told. A poem can be the essence of that tale. And is the essence of your emotions. Get it? Does that help? I hope it does.

Luck.

Answer 3

A short story has paragraphs, a main idea, a climax, while a poem has none of that. Unless it's an epic poem and that's basically a short story.

Answer 4

a story has a plot, a conflict, protagonist, antagonist, ect.
where as a poem can consist of a single object. a single being.
i mean try writing a story about a tree. just a tree. dont involve people or other objects. i dont think many people would be very interested.
now try writing a poem about a tree. and just a tree. it could go anywhere.

Answer 5

A poem has many literary characteristics, viz, alliterations, rhyme schemes, etc. And, it is usually rhythmic.
Poetic licence : You can find a grammatically wrong poem - but, never a grammatically wrong short story.

Answer 6

a singular is an exceedingly long tale with a lot of chapters and pages. Avey long storyline,with a lot of characters and plots a short tale is self defined,it;s a short tale,much less pages,fewer chapters.

Answer 7

a short storey has a beginning which rises to a climax and declines back to the ending....a poem well expresses emotion, thoughts, wisdome, and most feelings about ppl and themselves

Answer 8

poetry is a conservation of words that uses imagery and figurative language to evoke thought a emotion.