Every year on March 21, the world
celebrates World Poetry Day—a tribute to one of humanity’s oldest and most
profound forms of expression. Poetry is often perceived as distant, hidden in
books or classrooms, but in reality, it is deeply woven into the rhythm of our
daily lives—especially in cultures like ours.
Where Did Poetry Begin?
Poetry predates written language.
It began as an oral tradition, passed from generation to generation through
memory, rhythm, and sound. The earliest known poetry dates back to ancient
civilisations such as Mesopotamia, where works such as The Epic of Gilgamesh
were composed in Sumerian.
Across the world, poetry emerged
independently in many cultures:
In ancient India, the
Vedas—composed in Sanskrit—are among the oldest poetic texts, filled with
hymns, chants, and philosophical reflections.
In Greece, poets like Homer shaped
storytelling through epics like the Iliad and the Odyssey.
In China, the Shijing (Book of
Songs) captured early poetic traditions rooted in nature and daily life.
From these origins, poetry spread
across continents through trade, migration, religion, and education. Each
culture adapted it into its own language and style, yet its essence remained
the same: rhythm, emotion, and meaning.
Poetry in Our Everyday Lives
We often think poetry is something
we “study,” but rarely do we stop to notice how much of it we live.
Take a moment and reflect.
The prayers we recite—whether in
schools, temples, or at home—are deeply poetic in structure. Consider:
“Hum Ko Man Ki Shakti Dena” — a
school prayer many of us grew up with, filled with rhythm, repetition, and
emotional appeal.
Andal’s hymns, especially sung during the Margazhi month, are rich in imagery, devotion, and lyrical beauty.
Did we ever pause to realise this?
These are not just prayers—they
are poetry. They carry poetic devices like rhyme, meter, metaphor, and
repetition, alongside the central theme of bhakti (devotion). They are meant to
be felt, remembered, and experienced, not merely recited.
A Tradition Passed Down
Our ancestors understood something
powerful: poetry is easier to remember than plain speech. By embedding values,
stories, and teachings into poetic forms, they ensured that knowledge would
endure across generations.
Poetry was never separate from
life—it was life.
Moral lessons were taught through
verses.
Spiritual ideas were conveyed
through hymns.
Daily routines were accompanied by
chants and songs.
This was not accidental. It was
intentional cultural design.
Poetry as Practice
Even today, we continue this
tradition, often unknowingly:
A lullaby sung to a child
A devotional song played in the
morning
A festival chant repeated year
after year
All of these are poetic practices.
They shape our emotions, influence
our thoughts, and connect us to something larger than ourselves.
Why We Must Preserve This
In a fast-paced, digital world,
poetry risks being reduced to a subject rather than a lived experience. But
losing poetry means losing a part of our cultural and emotional heritage.
Preserving poetry doesn’t mean
only reading more poems—it means:
Recognizing poetry in daily
rituals
Teaching children the meaning
behind what they recite
Keeping oral traditions alive
Valuing rhythm, language, and
expression in everyday life
Poetry is not confined to pages—it
lives in our voices, our prayers, and our memories.
Perhaps the real question is not “What
is poetry?” but rather:
“Have we been living poetry all along without realising it?”
This World Poetry Day, take a
moment to listen—to the words you speak, the songs you hum, the prayers you
chant.
You may just discover that poetry
has always been a part of you.
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