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

Associated with a group that included Max Jacob and Pierre Reverdy, Jean Follain was struck by a car and killed just after midnight in Paris in 1971, a brutal irony considering how many of his poems are rutted by farm carts and horse carriages and apple wagons. —Literary Hub, 14 Nov. 2025

According to the explanation on the museum’s website, the use of poppies has its origins in a poem that was penned by a Canadian physician who had served as a field surgeon in Belgium during the Great War. —Emily Curiel, Kansas City Star, 12 Nov. 2025

Its theme is reflections on the moon through essays, poems, and visual art. —Christina Mayo, Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2025

The poppy as a symbol of Remembrance comes from the poem ‘In Flanders Fields’. —Michael Walker, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025

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