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

These poems display a range of stances when encountering social extremes. —Alissa Quart, TIME, 13 Mar. 2025

Premiering on Thursday, March 27, Gold & Greed: The Hunt for Fenn’s Treasure details the 10-year hunt to find treasure buried by 80-year-old Forrest Fenn in the Rocky Mountains — and the cryptic 24-line poem that was the key to finding the ultimate prize. —Abigail Adams, People.com, 12 Mar. 2025

Also on display is a doodle on the bottom of a poem written by Michelangelo that scholars consider the earliest drawing of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. —Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 6 Mar. 2025

In several poems evocative of mystical, moonlit summer evenings, alyssum makes an appearance as if summoned by a spell. —Laura Murphy, JSTOR Daily, 28 Feb. 2025

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

Rhymes for poem

• jeroboam
• rehoboam

Kids Definition

poem

noun

po·​em ˈpō-əm  -im 

ˈpōm,

 also  ˈpō-ˌem

: a composition in verse