poetry
6 synonyms and 0 antonyms for poetry, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — Literary writing arranged with attention to rhythm, sound, and imagery, often in verse.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use poetry
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Etymology
From Greek poietes, "maker, poet," via Old French poeterie.
Full origin of poetry →Frequently asked questions
What does “poetry” mean?
The word “poetry” means literary writing arranged with attention to rhythm, sound, and imagery, often in verse. In plain terms, verse writing as an art form, or figuratively, a sense of beauty and depth in something.
How do you pronounce “poetry”?
“Poetry” is pronounced POH-ih-tree (/ˈpoʊ.ə.tɹi/ in IPA).
How do you use “poetry” in a sentence?
Here is “poetry” used in a sentence: “She majored in English with a focus on modern poetry.”
What part of speech is “poetry”?
“Poetry” is a noun.
Where does the word “poetry” come from?
The word “poetry” comes from Old French. From Greek poietes, "maker, poet," via Old French poeterie.
Is “poetry” a common word?
“Poetry” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “poetry” have?
“Poetry” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: literary writing arranged with attention to rhythm, sound, and imagery, often in verse.
What is the difference between poetry and prose?
Prose is ordinary written language arranged in sentences and paragraphs, the form used in essays, novels, and articles. Poetry is arranged with deliberate attention to rhythm, sound, and imagery, often broken into lines and verses. Poetry compresses meaning and prizes musicality, while prose flows in a more natural, continuous way.
What are the main types of poetry?
Common forms include the sonnet, haiku, ballad, ode, limerick, and epic. Poems can also be grouped by style, such as lyric poetry expressing personal feeling, narrative poetry telling a story, and free verse, which abandons fixed rhyme and metre while still shaping rhythm and imagery.
Does poetry have to rhyme?
No. While rhyme is a familiar feature of traditional verse, much poetry does not rhyme at all. Free verse and blank verse rely on rhythm, line breaks, imagery, and sound rather than a rhyme scheme. What defines poetry is careful attention to language, not the presence of rhyme.
Why is poetry important?
Poetry captures emotion, experience, and ideas in a concentrated, memorable form that ordinary language often cannot. It sharpens attention to sound and meaning, preserves cultural memory, and lets writers explore feelings with precision. For readers, it offers pleasure, insight, and a deeper connection to language itself.