Purpose of Poetry

Well, I'll just join the chorus with the the "all of the above" refrain.  I also really get an intellectual boost out of it, like Pags.  And there's a psychological component as well, where there's something about putting an upsetting event into words helps process it all.

The poetry that resonates most deeply within me, is poetry that spans as many of these things as possible.  While writing poetry may not be prayer for me, it does feel like a way to connect with whatever is greater than myself, and can be a spiritual event.  On the other hand, reading some of the most excellent poems can feel an awful lot like prayer.