This poem is an example of didactic poetry. This is a type of poetry that attempts to teach the reader in some or another way. The If— poem themes and meanings are meant to impart wisdom to the reader and to have us think more deeply about the topic on display. However, this poetic form can also be seen as a strange one as all poetry can impart some kind of an idea or message, but didactic poetry makes this far more explicit a goal than most other examples of poetic forms.