ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

English poetry

Poetry in English is when people use words to make really cool and special patterns that make you feel things deep down inside. Just like how you can draw pictures with colors on a paper, poets use words to draw pictures and feelings in your mind and heart.

Sometimes poems rhyme, which means that the last word of every other line sounds the same. For example, "Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow. And everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go."

Other times, poems don't rhyme but they have really cool and special patterns of words that make you feel all kinds of things. Sometimes the words are arranged in lines that are short and easy to read, and other times the lines are long and might have harder words.

The best part about poetry is that it can be about ANYTHING! Some poems are about flowers and nature, while others are about love or feelings. There are even funny poems called limericks that make you laugh. So no matter how you're feeling, there's probably a poem out there that will make you feel even better or help you understand your feelings more.