poetics

[ poh-et-iks ]

noun

, (used with a singular verb)

1. literary criticism treating of the nature and laws of poetry.
2. the study of prosody.
3. a treatise on poetry.
4. (initial capital letter, italics) a treatise or collection of notes on aesthetics (4th century b.c.) by Aristotle.

poetics

/ pəʊˈɛtɪks /

noun

1. the principles and forms of poetry or the study of these, esp as a form of literary criticism
2. a treatise on poetry

Word History and Origins

Origin of poetics¹

First recorded in 1720–30; poetic, -ics

Example Sentences

Gurlesque poetics is characterized by a subversive blend of the grotesque and the feminine, mirroring the album's exploration of femininity through a lens of defiance and subversion.

From Salon

And though his range is wide, there has always been intellectual ambition in his choice of subject matter: a serious interest in the poetics of human tragedy.

From New York Times

“The poetics of her practice is just magical,” says the artist Clifford Owens, who has researched and made work about the neglected history of African American performance art.

From Los Angeles Times

It didn’t matter what the conditions were — the practical conditions — people still express that poetics in ways that are accessible to them, like at the very basic level, in their bodily adornment.

From New York Times

Here are nine tracks that showcase the sly invention and dark poetics of Shorter’s compositions and saxophone sound.

From New York Times