A poem's primary purpose is to express a concept or emotion through beautiful language. It depicts the poet's feelings about a thing, person, idea, concept, or even an object. Simply expressed, the poem's purpose is the reason the poet initially picked up the quill, pencil, or pen, or sat down at the computer. Ask yourself what the poet's intention was when she started writing to assess purpose. Did she wish to motivate, entertain, or educate people, for example?