poetry

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noun po·et·ry \ ˈpō-ə-trē , -i-trē also ˈpȯ(-)i-trē \

Definition of poetry

1 a :metrical writing :verse

b :the productions of a poet :poems

2 :writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in language chosen and arranged to create a specific emotional response through meaning, sound, and rhythm

3 a :something likened to poetry especially in beauty of expression

b :poetic quality or aspect

the poetry of dance

See poetry defined for English-language learners

See poetry defined for kids

Examples of poetry in a Sentence

I read the poem in a collection of modern poetry.
She's published two books of lyric poetry and a novel.
He found it easiest to express himself in the language of poetry.
Her dancing is pure poetry.

Recent Examples of poetry from the Web

Esperanza Spalding presents her latest project Emily's D+Evolution a rekindling of her childhood interest in theater, poetry and movement, which delves into a broader concept of performance.

— katie nodjimbadem, Smithsonian, "Esperanza Spalding’s Pop Culture Loves," 23 Aug. 2017
More information is a www.eventbrite.com/Gary poetry project.

— Post-Tribune, "Community news," 17 Aug. 2017
Nolan has said time and again that this is not really a conventional war movie as much as a work of visual poetry—a white-knuckle thriller set during one of the greatest military rescues in history.

— emma stefansky, vanityfair.com, "Dunkirk Vets Say Nolan’s Movie Was Louder Than the Real Thing," 22 July 2017
Living, burning poetry already seemed traduced when it was plucked from the air and written down, forced into rhymes and sonnet forms; his was demotic and free-flowing.

— The Economist, "The last of the fire-breathersObituary: Heathcote Williams died on July 1st," 15 July 2017
Born in 1961 into the family of a senior financial sector official in Beijing, Liu Xia quit her post at a publishing house in her 20s and pursued poetry and painting instead of the tax bureau job that her father arranged for her.

— Washington Post, "Chinese Nobel laureate’s death turns focus to widow’s fate," 14 July 2017
Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council Cultural Heritage Festival SAT Multicultural festival with traditional dance, music, poetry, fashion show, 7-9 p.m. Saturday, Shorewood High School Auditorium, 17300 Fremont Ave.

— madeline mckenzie, The Seattle Times, "Community calendar: festivals, fairs and more," 13 July 2017
His habitual thought makes all his poetry a hymn to the Cause of causes, the Spirit which vivifies and controls his own.

— rosa inocencio smith, The Atlantic, "The Atlantic Daily: High-Stakes Hearing," 12 July 2017
His poetry could be deeply critical of the changing times.

— eric weiskott, Smithsonian, "The Timelessness of Millennial-Bashing," 12 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'poetry.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of poetry

14th century

poetry Synonyms

Synonyms

minstrelsy, poesy, song, verse

Antonyms

prose

Related Words

rhyme (also rime); blank verse, free verse, vers libre

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

POETRY Defined for English Language Learners

poetry

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noun

Definition of poetry for English Language Learners

: the writings of a poet : poems
: something that is very beautiful or graceful

POETRY Defined for Kids

poetry

play

noun po·et·ry \ ˈpō-ə-trē \

Definition of poetry for Students

1 :writing that usually involves figurative language and lines that have rhythm and sometimes rhyme :verse

2 :the writings of a poet

Learn More about poetry

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for poetry Spanish Central: Translation of poetry Nglish: Translation of poetry for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of poetry for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about poetry

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First Known Use of poetry

poetry Synonyms

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Other Literature Terms

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POETRY Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of poetry for English Language Learners

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