A definition of poetry can only determine what poetry should be and not what poetry actually was and is otherwise the most concise formula would be: Poetry is that which at some time and some place was thus named.

Summary

This quote suggests that any attempt to define poetry is limited to prescribing what poetry should be, rather than capturing what it truly encompasses over time and place. It implies that poetry cannot be confined by a rigid definition as it evolves and takes on different forms across various periods and locations. The quote proposes that the only general definition of poetry is that which has been historically and commonly referred to as such.

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