[Poets are] literalists of / the imagination — above / insolence and triviality and can present / for inspection, imaginary gardens with real toads in them. — Marianne Moore, “Poetry”

Moore’s working definition of what poetry’s actually for, from the poem named for it — the imagined frame is the price of admission, but the toad has to be a real toad. Holds up as a craft instruction across most other arts as well.