Introduction According to Hill and Walton, biblical scholars recognize that poetic/wisdom literature comprises approximately one-third of the Jewish Old Testament. Although the book of Psalms, Proverbs, and the Song of Songs are entirely poetic in form, they are considered wisdom books with the exception of the wisdom psalms. Most of Job and parts of Ecclesiastes are poetic, but they are also considered books of wisdom. According to Longman, the identification of a particular genre determines the interpretation and reading strategy of a particular text. This is important for understanding the genre of poetic/wisdom literature because there are certain interpretive techniques that become necessary to correctly interpret the text compared to Old Testament prose. Longman states that prose and poetry are best represented as poles of a continuum. Poetry is a more consciously structured language with greater use of literary devices and figures of speech than prose. There are unique interpretive conventions with poetic and wisdom literature that come from the historical/cultural context of the corpus, and can be seen specifically in the theological themes/messages of the book of Psalms and Proverbs. Interpretive conventions First of all we need to understand how the Old Testament authors organize and structure poetic literature. As for poetry, Longman suggests, “It stimulates our imagination, arouses our emotions, nourishes our intellect, and addresses our will.” It could be argued that, unlike prose, poetry satisfies the needs of the whole being (mind, body, soul, and spirit). In the Old Testament, the use of poetry reveals the nature of God to create an opportunity for His people to turn to their Creator in any circumstance...... middle of paper ......practical advice on how to live, live well”. To further this thought, I believe the message of Proverbs is to encourage a righteous lifestyle that comes from the fear of the Lord and violently chooses to pursue the true wisdom that comes only from God. Conclusion Poetic/wisdom literature is a unique genre filled with poetic language linked to simple practical truths. Most of the writings came from ancient Near Eastern literature, but the Jewish people connected these wise teachings with the creator of wisdom, God. The messages in each book brought me a new understanding of the Scriptures and allowed me to apply those lessons in my ministry. The poetic/wisdom text may be difficult to fully understand at first, but with intentional meditation and time spent on a passage, you can learn to deepen your understanding of the passage(s) and apply it to your daily routine..