poem

American  

[poh-uhm] / ˈpoʊ əm /

noun

• poems
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• poems
  plural

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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

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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

See Examples For:

poem poems

He wrote a poem called “Betancourt,” named after a young radical there.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Wales' national poet did not take part in ceremony as had been planned, after Senedd officials rejected the poem she had written for the event and cancelled her performance.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

“With the right typeface,” she imparts to Batter, “any poem can seem important. Even poems written by elephants.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

In Dickinson’s green leatherbound King James, we find a possible source for a crucial word in this poem.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

And then, perhaps unwisely, she added, “Do you know that poem by Mr. Robert Burns, called ‘To a Mouse’?

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

How did you get the idea to combine poems about parties with poems about politics?

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

The rare book collection includes nearly 500 plays, poems and other works from the 16th and 17th centuries, among them a second folio edition of Shakespeare's complete works, published in 1632.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

Elements drawn from these poems have fed Wagner’s operas and Marvel movies, but the originals are brighter and at times unsettlingly alien.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Connolly also presented Trump with a collection of poems by Michael Longley that includes “Ceasefire,” a poem inspired by the 1994 IRA ceasefire that helped pave the way for the Good Friday Agreement.

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026

In time, I will tell her about the poems hidden inside the seams of my dress, but now I just nod and smile.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

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Related Words

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

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