Poetry seems to many of us the least approachable of literary forms. Yet it is also the oldest form of literature, and many texts we encounter in everyday life--advertisements, or the lyrics of popular songs--have poetic elements.

One of the definitions of poetry I like very much is "language that calls attention to itself." A poem demands to be read differently from the way that we read a newspaper, a textbook, or even a prose work such as a novel or short story. Here's how.