What is a poem?

A poem resembles a double or multiple star, sustained by a balance of centrifugal and centripetal forces.





A close analysis can reveal the separate elements in isolation;





but as soon as we take our eyes away from the telescope all we can see is one particular star.





A poem, in fact, is a small image of the universe, its multiplicity and its unity.





^{Words taken from 'Poetry in Crosslight' by D M Thomas}