poem

[ poh-uhm ]

noun

1. a composition in verse, especially one that is characterized by a highly developed artistic form and by the use of heightened language and rhythm to express an intensely imaginative interpretation of the subject.
2. composition that, though not in verse, is characterized by great beauty of language or expression:

   a prose poem from the Scriptures; a symphonic poem.

3. something having qualities that are suggestive of or likened to those of poetry:

   Marcel, that chicken cacciatore was an absolute poem.

poem

/ ˈpəʊɪm /

noun

1. a composition in verse, usually characterized by concentrated and heightened language in which words are chosen for their sound and suggestive power as well as for their sense, and using such techniques as metre, rhyme, and alliteration
2. a literary composition that is not in verse but exhibits the intensity of imagination and language common to it

   a prose poem

3. anything resembling a poem in beauty, effect, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of poem¹

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin poēma, from Greek poíēma “poem, something made,” from poiē- (variant stem of poieîn “to make”) + -ma, noun suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of poem¹

C16: from Latin poēma, from Greek, variant of poiēma something composed, created, from poiein to make

Example Sentences

He is of course, referring to Homer's epic poem that follows the travels of Odysseus and his crew, who faced perils such a the monster Scylla and giant whirlpool Charybdis.

From Salon

She also shared her experiences in her book, Pretty Boys are Poisonous, through two poems.

From BBC

In 1915, Canadian doctor Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote his famous war poem, In Flanders Fields, following the devastation he witnessed on battlefields in Ypres, Belgium.

From BBC

The singer, who was formerly known as Marina and the Diamonds, had never had an interest in poems.

From BBC

She memorized poems such as “Still I Rise” as if she were “taking notes on my impending womanhood.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ballad
• composition
• epic
• lyric
• poetry
• rhyme
• sonnet
• verse
• writing