What is a Poem?

I have never been into poetry, not because I do not like it as a form. I was just never introduced to it well in my youth. But today I cannot believe this form was not explored more in my high school classes. There are so many ways a poem can be looked it is the perfect vehicle to understand so many aspects of writing. In class we were asked to write our own poems, which were judged on form only. Not content. I think this is one of the most important aspects about poetry. You cannot judge what a person deems important to write about. You can only look at meter, metaphors, similes, rhyme etc. Is the poem too literal, as Diane Keaton's poetry reading in Sleeper illustrates. Or is it too childlike, simplistic, without deeper thought. I have grown a deeper appreciation for poems, since I have studied several in class. It has caused me to slow down in my reading with them and focus on why the poet might choose that word, as well as take in the whole poem as a whole to find the overall message. Either way, poem are worth investigating. I have found writing  poetry yourself, demands several things. A knowledge of topic, having something to say, being open, vulnerable and brave to say your thoughts, and a creative mind to invent, compare and contrast ones thoughts to make them universally embraced, yet uniquely told. A good vocabulary doesn't hurt either ;)