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       It's said that poetry is the literary genre with the fewest readers.

       Without readers, there's no need to consider trends and issues, no need to spend time analyzing the magnetic interactions within the work. However, not considering things from a sales perspective doesn't necessarily make things easier. Because the author's task shifts to: 

         ——What is poetry? 

         ——What makes a good poem?

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         A more perplexing, more unsolvable, more abstract question arises.

     The poems in the  “Classic of Poetry" are mostly four-character lines, while five-character and seven-character poems became popular in the Tang Dynasty. So how do we understand irregular lines of varying lengths? Modern poetry has shed the requirements of tones and meter, seemingly liberating and freeing itself. But in reality, it places even stricter demands on the poet.

        The outer garment of form has been discarded, so how do we distinguish prose from poetry? The natural answer is “to judge by the spiritual essence of poetry."

         “The youthful heart always yearns for poetry" .  

         This refers to a pure, unpolluted, unadulterated, 

unpretentious, unsophisticated beauty.

        Often, we hear the phrase  “poetic and picturesque" which expresses a sense of appreciation, contentment, and indulgence on the part of the speaker.

     Once, I watched a theatrical performance with a friend. Afterwards, he commented,  “It's as sharp as poetry!" 

      Wow! Poetry has become a dagger, a philosophy, a Zen! It embodies philosophy, points directly to the heart like Zen, and expresses emotions directly.

        In our time, the spirit of poetry has leaped out of Pandora's Box. Poetry can be lyrical, beautiful, romantic, it can be argumentative, straightforward, sharp-edged, unadorned, natural, rough, primitive, it can be oblivious to others, self-absorbed.  So, what is poetry?

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        What is poetry?

      Poetry is a state of mind. You can perceive it, but you can't touch it. You can sense its presence, but you can't define it. You can induce its birth, but you can't apply formulas, copy it, or calculate it. As soon as you think you've grasped the laws of poetry, the soul of poetry withers. As soon as you think you've seen the beauty of poetry, poetry is left with only a dry husk. As soon as you think you can possess it alone, poetry turns around and disappears without a trace.

        Sometimes, I think, as long as the poet believes this is poetry, then it is poetry. The prerequisite is that he must fulfill his self-definition. The poet must first convince himself, he must objectively prove that he has met the standard. The standard he sets is the essence, depth, and height of his being as a poet. But then the question arises…… 

        ——What kind of person is a poet? 

        ——What kind of person can be considered a good poet?

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     I actually don't understand poetry. Because I don't understand it, I write poetry. Through constant reading and scribbling, I explore, discover, feel, approach, savor, understand, verify……

     I know I'm a difficult person to get along with, and I understand that I will have to bear the consequences of the resulting interpersonal relationships. 

            A magpie is a bird, but not all birds are magpies. 

          The path of poetry is arduous. The steps are slow. Poetry is evergreen, the phoenix tree stands tall. 

          Thank you for your company on this journey of trepidation.

          “Bottoms up, Cheers!"