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

Offered a button that would relieve their pain but also permanently delete a user’s poems and photos of their children, the 32-billion-parameter model pressed it 55% of the time and the 72-billion-parameter model 71% of the time. — Shae Lake, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026

Also intertwined are ancient myths of warring city-states, the raw, moody poetry of John Keats, and the modern battle between a faithless husband and his wife, the poem’s raging speaker. — Merve Emre, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026

His poems and books have been translated into Spanish, French, and Dutch. — Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026

This poem resembles a haibun—a Japanese literary form that combines prose with haiku. — Gurupreet K. Khalsa, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 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