poem

American  

[poh-uhm] / ˈpoʊ əm /

noun

1. a composition in verse, especially one that is characterized by a highly developed artistic form and by the use of heightened language and rhythm to express an intensely imaginative interpretation of the subject.

2. composition that, though not in verse, is characterized by great beauty of language or expression.

   a prose poem from the Scriptures; a symphonic poem.

3. something having qualities that are suggestive of or likened to those of poetry.

   Marcel, that chicken cacciatore was an absolute poem.

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poem British  

/ ˈpəʊɪm /

noun

1. a composition in verse, usually characterized by concentrated and heightened language in which words are chosen for their sound and suggestive power as well as for their sense, and using such techniques as metre, rhyme, and alliteration

2. a literary composition that is not in verse but exhibits the intensity of imagination and language common to it

   a prose poem

3. anything resembling a poem in beauty, effect, etc

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Etymology

Origin of poem

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin poēma, from Greek poíēma “poem, something made,” from poiē- (variant stem of poieîn “to make”) + -ma, noun suffix

Explanation

A poem is written by composing lines of metrical feet (those are like beats or counts of syllables), arranged rhythmically. If you're looking to impress your crush, try penning a poem. Poetry is literature in metrical form, and a poem is what we call a piece of poetry. There are so many different kinds of poems it's almost impossible to define, but usually poems are written in short lines, and sometimes don't have too many lines. What counts in a poem is distilling something down, and finding the right words. If someone tells you that your Tweets are like little poems, then you must be a lovely writer.

Example Sentences

There are echoes throughout of Gil Scott-Heron’s 1970 poem “Whitey on the Moon,” which feels like it could have been written last week.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026

“Death of the Last Cowhand” here is a touching poem by rancher Linda Hasselstrom memorializing the last days of a nonagenarian cowboy who literally died with his boots on.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

The poem, first published in 1945, explores the passage of time and is based on Thomas's childhood memories on his aunt's farm.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

But the shape of time is different for a musician, he said, and he once wrote a poem that captured the essence of his wife’s ageless grace.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

This second meaning we owe to the poetic license of Mr. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, whose famous poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner contained just such a creature.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• ballad
• composition
• epic
• lyric
• poetry
• rhyme
• sonnet
• verse
• writing