1, short answer: a literary genre that expresses the author's rich emotions in highly concise language, reflects social life, and has a certain rhythm and rhythm.
2. Answer in detail: Poetry is a literary genre that expresses feelings and wishes. Mao's Preface to Poetry says: "Poets have their own aspirations. Have ambition in your heart and speak like a poem. " Yan Yu's Poems on Canglang in the Southern Song Dynasty said that "poets chant temperament". There is only one art expressed in words: poetry. In ancient China, unhappy people were called poems and happy people were called songs. In modern times, they are generally called poems. It expresses social life and people's spiritual world according to certain syllables and rhythms. The origin of poetry can be traced back to ancient times. There are related documents in Yu Shun period. The Book of Songs is China's first collection of poems, which is said to have been compiled by Confucius. There is still debate on this issue in academic circles. China's ancient poetry experienced the development of Yuefu, Tang Poetry, Song Poetry and Yuan Qu in the Han, Wei and Six Dynasties. "History of rites and music": "If you have an indissoluble bond with your relatives, you will come from poetry and Zhong Shi will sing the strings." Yue's Diary of Han Ji Hui is a poem. Han Yu's Preface to Poems in Yunzhou Xitang in the Tang Dynasty: "Although the works of the four ponds are said to have words but no poems, they connect the people of the country with Tao and do not attract public morality." Wang Ming Chang's Zhen Ze Chang Yu Official System: "The Hanlin in Tang and Song Dynasties is a very deep and strict place with many poets." Lu Xun's Letter to Dou: "Although there are two kinds of poems, the latter is better." "Suixian Literature and History Materials Yuan's Land Garden": "Yuan's land garden is in Mingfengmen ... On good days, scholars and celebrities from the state gather here. The poem recited later became a picture album called "Penglai Jisheng". "
3, the characteristics of poetry:
Poetry is full of the author's thoughts, feelings and rich imagination. The language is concise and vivid, with distinct rhythm, harmonious phonology and rich musical beauty. Sentences are generally in rows, paying attention to the beauty of structure and form.
He Qifang, a modern poet and literary critic in China, once said: "Poetry is the literary style that most strongly reflects social life. It is full of rich imagination and feelings, and it is often expressed in a direct lyrical way. Moreover, in the degree of exquisiteness and harmony, especially in the distinct rhythm, its language and prose are different. " This definition summarizes several basic characteristics of poetry: first, it reflects life in a highly concentrated and general way; The second is lyrical expression, full of rich thoughts and feelings; Third, rich imagination, association and fantasy; Fourth, language has musical beauty.
It has the following four characteristics: (1) The content of poetry is the most concentrated reflection of social life. (2) Poetry is full of emotion and imagination. (3) The poetic language is characterized by conciseness, image, harmonious tone and distinct rhythm. (4) In form, poetry is not based on sentences, but on behavior, and its branches are mainly based on rhythm, not meaning.
Second, expand the scope of knowledge:
1, the expression of poetry:
There are many ways to express poetry. The traditional way of expression that was first popular in China and is still often used today is "Fu, Bi and Xing". "Preface to Mao Poetry" said: "Therefore, poetry has six meanings: one is wind, the other is fu, the third is comparison, the fourth is pride, the fifth is elegance and the sixth is fu." In the meantime, there is a quatrain called: "Three lights, the sun, the moon and the stars, and four poems are elegant." In the six meanings, "style, elegance and praise" refers to the types of poems in the Book of Songs, and "Fu, Bi and Xing" are the expressions in poems. Fu: It is a way to express things directly. Zhu, a scholar in the Song Dynasty, said in the Notes on Poems: "The giver must tell the truth." For example, Ge Tan and Slug in The Book of Songs used this technique. Bobby: It's a figurative way to describe things and express thoughts and feelings. Liu Xie said in "Wen Xin Diao Long Bi Xing": "And what is Bi Ye? Cover things with attachments and threaten to cut them off. " Zhu said, "If you compare, you can compare this thing with another." For example, books in The Book of Songs, such as Cats and Storytelling, are written in this way. Xing: It's a way to make things interesting, that is, to use the beginning of things to describe things and express thoughts and feelings. In the Tang Dynasty, Confucius said in "Mao Shi Zheng Yi": "Those who get the Tao are happy. Take the metaphor as an example. Those who quote plants, birds and beasts in poetry and prose are happy. " Zhu pointed out more clearly: "If you are interested, you should say something else first to arouse the words you are reciting." For example, Guan Ju [3] and Yao Tao in The Book of Songs are the manifestations of "Xing". These three methods of expression have been handed down all the time, and they are often used comprehensively and complement each other, which has a great influence on poetry creation in past dynasties. There are many forms of expression of poetry, which are constantly developing and creating since ancient times, and their application is also flexible, exaggerated, repetitive, overlapping, jumping and so on. It's hard to describe. However, all methods are inseparable from imagination. Rich imagination is not only a major feature of poetry, but also the most important form of expression of poetry. In poetry, there is also an important technique of expression, which is symbol. Symbol simply means "symbolic meaning", but in modern poetry, symbol is the direct image of the soul and should be paid attention to. From a modern point of view, there are three main ways to create images in poetry: contrast, exaggeration and metonymy.
2. Look at the classification of poetry from the perspective of poetry rhythm. It can be divided into two categories: ancient poetry and modern poetry. Classical poetry and modern poetry are concepts formed in the Tang Dynasty. From the content, it can be divided into narrative poems, lyric poems, farewell poems, frontier poems, pastoral poems, nostalgic poems (epic poems), object poems, mourning poems and allegorical poems.