Is this Real?

Is experimental poetry considered lesser poetry or not?

Poetry is poetry. There's prose written in different styles, but that doesn't make it any less prose than other works of prose.

Experimental poetry may be strange, and it may not be as openly appreciated as "classic poetry", like Robert Frost, but it is not lesser than the works of Billy Collins or E.E. Cummings. Experimental poetry is not what most people consider "normal poetry", because it is nothing like what most people think poetry is: strictly structured, rhyming, and hard to understand.

Experimental prose is more well received than experimental poetry. In fact, experimental prose, or different prose, is usually expected from authors; novels should have different, distinct voices.

But poetry is expected to be the same. No one expects poetry to have a distinct voice. No one expects poetry to be open about its meaning.

It's strange how we have preconceived notions of what poetry should be, and yet we are open to any idea of what prose can be. Experimental poetry should be received with open arms, and yet we are unwilling to consider it poetry.

If it's not poetry, then what is it?