poem

noun

po·​em ˈpō-əm 

-im, 

ˈpōm

also ˈpȯ(-)im, 

ˈpō-ˌem 

1

: a composition in verse

2

: something suggesting a poem (as in expressiveness, lyricism, or formal grace)

The house we stayed in … was itself a poem.

—H. J. Laski

Synonyms of poem

• verse
• lyric
• song
• sonnet
• poetry

Examples of poem in a Sentence

He wrote a poem about his parents.

your assignment is to write two poems about springtime

Recent Examples on the Web

In the poem, there are 108 suitors vying for Penelope’s hand (and the Ithacan throne), including Antinous who in the film is the main antagonist on the homefront. — ABC News, 9 July 2026

Taking the stage before the subdued audience, Mexico’s Alonso Ruizpalacios acknowledged the collective disappointment by turning to Elizabeth Butcher’s poem One Art. — Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 8 July 2026

Throughout the album, mary in the junkyard shift constantly, moving from crumbling atmospheric experiments to cloudy Pacific Northwest indie rock to the kind of straightforward classical guitar poems of Leonard Cohen’s early albums. — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 7 July 2026

The title poem takes the reader into the crosshairs of war’s violence, exploding euphemistic descriptions of its horrors. — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 7 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle French poeme, from Latin poema, from Greek poiēma, from poiein

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing poem

• found poem
• heroic poem
• prose poem
• symphonic poem
• tone poem

Rhymes for poem

• jeroboam
• rehoboam

Kids Definition

poem

noun

po·​em ˈpō-əm  -im 

ˈpōm

also ˈpō-ˌem

: a composition in verse