What makes a poem great?

I feel that simple but meaningful words make a poem great. I don't like when people get too fancy or draw their point out.

I feel that expressing a certain emotion is key to writing a wonderful poem. Also I believe that poetry is an art, and in the art field many may not understand your message exactly. But it helps to be stating a message so that people can relate. On that note people like to be able to relate to the poem and it's meaning. So if I were to go out and read a poem that I could relate to I would love that piece. I hope this helps you in, and answers your question. ~SBB

Sometimes it's the writer who makes a poem great, but most often it's the reader.

To put it simply... every poem has an image, an emotion, that is brought forth (sometimes forced) out of the reader. And it is how these images, these emotions, coincide with one another that makes a poem be.

I think a great poem is a clear and understandable one. Sometimes times I go through poetry books that I have and most of the poems are too general they leave too many blanks in the poem, which makes it not interesting because when I read a poem I want to know what the author is saying and understand it, not to read a few words that could mean a trillion different things and fill in all the blanks and assume what it means to my satisfaction. If I was to do that I would rather write my own poems and say what I want to say. And I'm not saying a good poem has to explain every tiny detail, I already get that from Charles Dickens and it's boring when he goes on for two pages telling how the leaves are blowing through the air. You should most certainly leave a little to the imagination of the reader but not to the extent that there is no meaning and only a few words that together could have a billion different meanings or interpretations.

The space of silence within the words!!

You can get a good idea of what makes a poem great here:

http://115.146.95.34/poetry/

It is a Poems Beauty and Artful Eloquence for me, Emotion and Feelings are nice, Simple and Meaningful good, but for me it's the poems ability Enrapture you in it's Emotion, Message, or Meaning with Aesthetic Elegance, Fancy can be quite Fetching, if the poet know how do it and do it properly - where it accents the poem, but if the poem is simple, it not only has to be meaningful, but week written and effectively and exquisitely expressed.