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

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

See Examples For:

poem poems

In a sense, the film, directed by Kent Jones, is like a wonderful little poem.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

The nonlinear nature of Homer’s epic poem lends itself to his style.

From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026

Christopher Nolan's adaptation of "The Odyssey" has not only lured legions of fans to cinemas, but sparked huge interest in the UK in Homer's epic poem and other Greek and Roman mythology works.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

Days after a classicist who translated Homer’s “The Odyssey” in 2017 eviscerated the Christopher Nolan film based on the poem, Joyce Carol Oates has entered the debate.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 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

Most of these miniatures and tone poems were inspired by Hopkins’ childhood — his parents, his hometown, the day the circus came.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

This setting of five poems on deep and serious subjects is one of the most extraordinarily affecting gifts ever created by one lover for another.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

McNish says her poems are "pretty much word-for-word how I'm thinking"

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

Speakers take turns addressing crowds while also belting out protest songs and poems.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

Sadako leaned against her mother and listened to her read from a book of poems.

From "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes" by Eleanor Coerr

Related Words

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