* Origin: The word "poem" comes from the Greek word "poema," which itself comes from the verb "poiein," meaning "to make" or "to create."
* Early Usage: In ancient Greece, "poema" referred to any kind of creative work, including plays, epics, and even songs. It wasn't limited to what we consider poems today.
* Evolution: Over time, the meaning of "poema" narrowed to focus more specifically on works written in verse. It became associated with the idea of carefully crafted language, rhythm, and rhyme, the elements that make up the structure of a poem.
* Modern Usage: Today, we use "poem" to describe a piece of writing that uses figurative language and often follows a specific structure like stanzas, rhyme, or meter.
So, in essence, we call a poem a "poem" because it is a created, crafted work of art using language in a specific and often rhythmic way. It represents the idea of making something new and beautiful through words.