What should a poem be according to Ars Poetica?

• A. Ephemeral, Tangible, and Dynamic
• B. Palpable, Wordless, and Motionless
• C. Colorful, Loud, and Prosaic
• D. Motionful, Visible, and Audible

Answer: (C)

Ars Poetica treats poetry as a tangible thing you can encounter in the moment, not just a message to be decoded. The poem famously says a verse should be palpable and mute, like a globed fruit — something you can feel and hold in your perception without it shouting its meaning. It also says a poem should be motionless in time, as the moon is motionless in the night, inviting a pause and an experience of a single instant or image rather than a rush of events.

So the idea is to craft poetry that exists in a concrete presence, felt through form, sound, and image, rather than through loud rhetoric or wandering narrative. The emphasis is on the poem’s material presence and its ability to be apprehended in a single, still moment—a poised, sensory experience rather than a line-by-line explanation.

That’s why the best option aligns with those lines: poetry should feel palpable and mute and should dwell in a moment rather than chase motion or a loud, obvious message.