The Difference Between the Speaker and the Poet

What is the difference between the speaker of the poem and the poet, and why is it important to understand this distinction?

When a poet it writing a poem they are not necessarily writing from their point of view. The speaker of the poem is the person or thing in the poem speaking about their life while trying to get a message across. The poet is the one creating the character in the poem. It is possible for the poet to be writing about themselves, and that is the first thing our minds go to when reading poetry. Oh, this person wrote it, it must be about them. However, if you are able to distinguish between the two then you are able to understand the poem in a more creative way instead of thinking of it so literally. Being able to distinguish the person or thing being described in the poem can help you understand it better.