Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

poetry

noun po·et·ry \ ˈpō-ə-trē , -i-trē also ˈpȯ(-)i-trē \
|Updated on: 15 Jul 2018
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

  1. I read the poem in a collection of modern poetry.

  2. She's published two books of lyric poetry and a novel.

  3. He found it easiest to express himself in the language of poetry.

  4. Her dancing is pure poetry.

Recent Examples of poetry from the Web

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year
NEW! Time Traveler

poetry Synonyms

Synonyms

articulateness, eloquence, rhetoric;

Antonyms

inarticulateness;

Related Words

expression, expressiveness;

declamation, elocution, oratory;

cogency, force, forcefulness, meaningfulness, persuasion, persuasiveness;

ardor, emotion, fervency, fervidness, fervor, heat, intensity, passion, power, vehemence, warmth;

Phrases

gift of gab;

Other Literature Terms

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

Phrases Related to POETRY

Related Phrases

POETRY Defined for English Language Learners

poetry

noun

  • : the writings of a poet : poems

  • : something that is very beautiful or graceful

POETRY Defined for Kids

poetry

noun po·et·ry \ ˈpō-ə-trē \
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

  1. 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

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up poetry? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

salvo

play

a simultaneous discharge of guns

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. socialism 'a way of organizing a society in which major industries are owned and controlled by the government'

  2. uphold 'to let stand'

  3. due process 'a course of formal proceedings (as judicial proceedings)'

  4. asylum 'protection from arrest and extradition given especially to political refugees'

  5. insubordinate 'disobedient to authority'

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

poetry

Test Your Vocabulary

Test Your Emoji Exceptionalism

  • test-your-emoji-exceptionalism-written-with-a-lot-of-emoji
  • What is this emoji intended to represent: 🤳
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games