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Agency Dictionary

Poem

nounPronunciation: /ˈpoʊ.əm/

In Portuguese: Poema

What does “Poem” mean?

A piece of writing that partakes of the nature of both speech and song that is nearly always rhythmical, usually metaphorical, and often exhibits formal elements such as meter and rhyme.

Etymology

From Middle French poème, from Latin poēma, from Ancient Greek poíēma (a thing made, a work, a poem), from poiéō (to make). The Greek noun used the same root as the verb meaning to make, treating a poem as a crafted artifact. The word entered English through French and Latin.

Usage note

A poem is a single piece; poetry names the art form or a body of such pieces. The plural is poems.

Synonyms

  • verse
  • lyric
  • composition

Word family

  • poet
  • poetry
  • poetic
  • poetics
  • poetize

Usage examples

  • Love poems come in a wide variety of forms and categories, each capturing different aspects of love and emotions.

Concepts

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

Words of the same theme

Antithesisnoun
A person, thing, or concept that represents the direct or exact opposite of another.
Rebirthnoun
A new beginning after a period of decline or destruction, used in mythology to describe the cyclical return to life after death. In Archetype.0, rebirth is the defining characteristic of both the Bennu and the Phoenix.
Discursiveadjective
Proceeding by reasoned argument or sequential exposition rather than by immediate visual intuition.
paperweightnoun
A small, heavy object placed on loose sheets of paper to prevent them from scattering or blowing away.
quotationnoun
A group of words taken verbatim from a published text or speech and repeated by another author.
omissionnoun
The intentional or accidental act of leaving something out or excluding details from a statement or text.
Treatisenoun
A formal, systematic, and comprehensive written work dealing methodically with the principles and evidence of a particular philosophical, scientific, or technical subject.
Maximnoun
A concise statement expressing a fundamental principle, general truth, or practical rule of conduct.
verbatimadjective
In exactly the same words as the original, word for word. Said of a quotation or a transcription that changes nothing.
rhetoricnoun
The art of effective and persuasive speaking or writing, especially through strategic linguistic devices.
literary devicenoun
A technique that a writer uses to produce a particular effect or to convey meaning, such as metaphor, irony, repetition, quotation or aphorism.
Accuracynoun
The degree of precision, correctness, and exactitude with which a message or action reaches its intended mark.

Also from these editions: terms

Assistantnoun
A person or computational software program that provides aid, support, or automated services to facilitate work and handle routine tasks.
Databasenoun
A structured, organized collection of digitized data stored electronically in a computer system and accessible through various retrieval and querying mechanisms.
Failurenoun
The state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, performance standard, or operational expectation.
Fictionnoun
Literature in the form of prose, especially novels and short stories, that describes imaginary events, characters, and scenarios not strictly based on historical facts.
Generativeadjective
Having the power, capability, or functional property of originating, producing, generating, or synthesizing new content, information, or biological life.
Interviewnoun
A structured conversation where one participant asks questions and the other provides answers, conducted for journalistic publication, academic research, or employment assessment.
Ironynoun
The expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect. Also, a state of affairs that is contrary to what one expects.
Patronnoun
A person who gives financial or other support to a person, organization, cause, or activity, especially in the arts, literature, and intellectual scholarship.
Prejudicenoun
A preconceived opinion or unfavorable judgment that is not based on actual reason, knowledge, or direct experience, often directed against particular groups, ideas, or practices.
Robotnoun
A machine, especially one programmable by a computer, capable of carrying out a complex series of physical actions or automated computational operations autonomously or semi-autonomously.
Talentnoun
Natural aptitude, exceptional skill, or superior innate capacity for a specific craft, artistic expression, intellectual inquiry, or physical performance.

Also from these editions: concepts

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Cite this entry

“Poem”. Agency Wiki, Agency Brasil. Published on November 11, 2026. https://www.agencybrasil.com/en/wiki/dictionary/poem