What makes poetry special, if it is special? That is, how is it different from other forms of language such as everyday speech, fiction, nonfiction in print, the dialogue in a play, or the wording used in advertisements? Is the language in one genre of poetry more like that of another genre or more like language that you find outside of poetry? Think about one or more ways people use language, and compare it to the language you find in poetry. Discuss why language seems to take different forms, or why it makes sense to categorize it by form, situation, medium, purpose, and audience, for example.