History of Poetry
Poetry is one of the oldest forms of communication. Early poems were often accompanied by a musical instrument knows as a lyre, which is where the term lyrical poetry comes from. It was under ancient Greek culture that poetry evolved into its modern form of being written and spoken. The Greeks created the structure of verses to organize poetry. … Keep Reading → Most poetry was written in Latin for many years. Geoffrey Chaucer, who wrote The Canterbury Tales, created a new style when he wrote his poems in the natural style of language common in 14th century England. The Romantic period moved poetry forward as an art form. It was during this period that poets created work that was understood as personal expression, rather than divine inspiration. In 1855 Walt Whitman wrote Leaves of Grass. Whitman is credited with creating the style of free verse poetry which doesn’t have rhythm or meter. This is considered the basis for modern poetry.
