Literature as a whole is usually divided into poetry, prose and drama (Solar 2006: 154) with fairly clear boundaries between them. When it comes to their subdivision and definition of specific literature and art type, the boundaries become unclear and many questions arise. One of the most difficult questions to answer is what poetry is and which criteria must be met in order for some work to be classified as poetry. It is known that authors such as Shakespeare, Byron, Cummings or Angelou are poets and their work is interpreted as poetry. However, can the circle of poetry and art be expanded to similar forms such as contemporary music? That is the topic of this thesis – analysis, explanation and specific examples of modern song lyrics which can be viewed as poetry and something more valuable in the art context than it actually is due to the commercialization of music. With songs performed by Tupac, Garbage, Leonard Cohen, Bill Withers and various artists who belong to different music genres and eras, poetry is broadened and upgraded to the 21st century level.