Writing Differently

So far I've discovered that there are minor differences between writing poetry and writing prose. When I sit down to write a story, I have to know what kind of story I want to write, the feeling I want to convey, and the character or scene development I need to focus on. Writing a poem requires the same type of concentration; however, it demands a different approach. A poem's focus is to imply elements of the story without actually telling the whole story. For instance, in the "ten element" poems we just constructed, we learned that it is better for the writer to use experiential factors that develop the element rather than come right out and name the element. This helps the reader to personally identify with the elements and construct an individual point of view. Writing like this is more difficult for me because I feel like I have to use more words, more description, and more concrete identification to build the story.