poem

noun

po·​em ˈpō-əm How to pronounce poem (audio)
-im,
ˈpōm,
 also  ˈpȯ(-)im,
ˈpō-ˌem How to pronounce poem (audio)
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 poemH. J. Laski

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 This was supposedly inspired by a poem the RZA wrote about his experience visiting Scotland. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2024 The La Jolla Music Society presents the internationally renowned Canadian dance company in a concert that brings the music and poems of troubadour Leonard Cohen to life. Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2024 And much like the Voyager probes and their iconic Golden Records, NASA’s upcoming Europa Clipper mission will carry 2.6 million names, an original poem and meaningful artwork to Jupiter’s ocean moon. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 Intention to Return a poem Christian Caryl Mourning Navalny Alexey Navalny’s death represents the culmination of the Kremlin’s efforts to push the country into a political deep freeze, but his legacy is a new generation of Russians who yearn to imagine alternatives to Putin’s regime. Erin Maglaque, The New York Review of Books, 12 Mar. 2024 In contrast, classical schools prize memory work, asking students to internalize math formulas and recite poems. Emma Green, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Imperial waka anthologies compiled in Japan between 905 and 1439 C.E. usually contain more spring poems composed about cherry blossoms than plum blossoms. Małgorzata (gosia) K. Citko-Duplantis, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2024 Short said Brown’s children and godchildren asked him to read a poem to remember him. Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024 Include analysis of specific passages in the poem and explore the use of at least five literary terms. Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'poem.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of poem was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near poem

Cite this Entry

“Poem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poem. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

poem

noun
po·​em ˈpō-əm How to pronounce poem (audio) -im How to pronounce poem (audio)
ˈpōm,
 also  ˈpō-ˌem
: a composition in verse

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