poem
Americannoun
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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.
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composition that, though not in verse, is characterized by great beauty of language or expression.
a prose poem from the Scriptures; a symphonic poem.
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something having qualities that are suggestive of or likened to those of poetry.
Marcel, that chicken cacciatore was an absolute poem.
noun
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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
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a literary composition that is not in verse but exhibits the intensity of imagination and language common to it
a prose poem
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anything resembling a poem in beauty, effect, etc
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
A refined 1840 Hokusai portrait of a young samurai, painted for a male patron, bears a poem praising the boy’s loveliness with a metaphor about dew-soaked branches.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026
Highlights include his drawing to accompany his narrative poem “Old Angel Midnight” and an unpublished story composed when he was a child.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026
“Each time samurai would commit the ritual suicide of seppuku, they would first read the death poem they had prepared in order to summarize their life and make sense of it,” Murakami said.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026
When she swam in the lake and tried to hold her breath, she felt the same kind of nervousness that she felt when she was supposed to have read her poem.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
