the poet s words about this distinction What is poetry is so nearly the same question with what is a poem that the answer to the one is involved in the solution of the other For it is a distinction resulting from the poetic genius itself which sustains and modifies the images thoughts and emotions of the poet s own mind Product vs Process A poem is the final product like a baked cake Poetry is the whole cooking process It mixes ingredients with care and skill The poem stays fixed but poetry lives in the poet's moving thoughts Coleridge believed the real value lies in this creative process not just the final words Ordinary vs Special Any rhyming writing can be a poem But true poetry needs imagination and genius It transforms simple ideas into universal truths Coleridge said poetry connects to divine creativity A poem without this depth is just empty words True poetry makes readers feel and think deeply In the final Coleridge showed that poems and poetry are different A poem is just words while poetry is the creative spirit behind them Great poems come from true poetry This explains why some writings touch our hearts while others do not Understanding this helps us better appreciate good literature