Poetry vs. Lyrics

Strange thing about comparing creative productions is how to title them. Dancing as appose to painting? Composing a symphony as appose to writing a novel? Directing a play as apposed to recording a movie? It is hard to compare. 

I recently read or saw or was told about a poetry book. A songwriter wrote the book or so that is what he is famous for. The question came when if any of the pages contained lyrics instead of poetry. So what is the difference?

It is like comparing ballet to hip-hop or an electric guitar solo to a country western ballade or “Harry Potter” to “War and Peace”. There are so many variables to different generations but the idea of expressing creative ideas is the same.

So I pondered the idea of poetry vs. lyrics. I am certainly not an expert on the English language or the difference between prose or verse or any other method of writing thoughts to express our ideas and feelings.

Poetry, back from a time remembered, was to rhyme at every other line. Then the “beat” poets came along and disrupted that idea of clean poetry. Poetry gave a story with feeling.

Lyrics were a story put to music. Before printing, minstrels would wander about telling tales, some true, some not, to whoever would listen to their music. 

So are lyrics really poetry? Is dancing just painting with your feet? Is singing the vocalization of reading?