Final answer:
Poetry is an art form distinguished from prose by its rhythmic and metrical lines, evoking emotions and experiences through aesthetic language use.
Step-by-step explanation:
Poetry has evolved throughout history, traditionally recognized by its rhythmic and metrical lines. Influenced by Aristotle's Poetics, poetry was viewed as a normative category of fictive or rhetorical art prior to the nineteenth century, rather than strictly a form of verse. This art form, dating back to oral traditions, is considered one of the earliest examples of literature. Contrary to prose, which is structured in sentences, poetry is composed in lines where the syntax is not solely governed by meaning but also by meter and visual elements. Poetry employs the aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meanings and feelings, often achieving this through elements like tone, pace, rhythm, and sound, making it a condensed form of writing that produces a direct physical and emotional experience for the reader.