What makes poetry special, if it is special? That is, how is it different from other forms of language such as everyday speech, fiction, nonfiction in print, the dialogue in a play, or the wording used in advertisements? Is the language in one genre of poetry more like that of another genre or more like language that you find outside of poetry?

Poetry differs from all other forms of writing because it relies heavily on figurative language. Poetry can be interpreted as a visual art such as writing a poem shaped like a cat about a cat or audial art much like music due to rhyme schemes and sound devices. Wording used in plays and nonfiction are often straight-forward. One genre of poetry will most likely relate more closely to another genre rather than outside literature as new genres often combine parts of others or at the very least include influence from others.