poem

noun

po·​em ˈpō-əm 

-im,

ˈpōm,

 also  ˈpȯ(-)im,

ˈpō-ˌem 

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 poem

—H. J. Laski

Synonyms

• lyric
• rune
• song
• verse

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

The title that Moss has chosen for her memoir riffs on a poem that May Swenson published in 1978. —Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024

That last work is a room-size installation that lists the names of 262 deceased men and women next to a neon sign that reads a dream, invoking a poem by Langston Hughes. —Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 20 Nov. 2024

My husband worked with my oldest daughter, who wrote a very lovely poem, but then completely ignored the rest of the request that everyone in the family have something to share. —R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 1 Nov. 2024

This later became a kid-only experience, where these children dressed up in costumes and — after knocking on a door — traded a song, a poem or a joke for a snack. —Aaron Mahnke, People.com, 27 Oct. 2024

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

Phrases Containing poem

• found poem
• heroic poem
• prose poem
• symphonic poem
• tone poem

Kids Definition

poem

noun

po·​em ˈpō-əm  -im 

ˈpōm,

 also  ˈpō-ˌem

: a composition in verse