# poetic

/poʊˈɛtɪk/ (US) · /pəʊˈɛtɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/poetic
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. relating to poetry

adjective · CEFR B2 · Academic

connected to the writing or study of poems.

For teachers: relating to the formal composition, structure, or study of poetry.

- The professor discussed the poetic techniques used in the 19th century.
- The seminar focused on the evolution of poetic forms, specifically how modernists broke away from traditional meter and rhyme schemes.

Usage: Often used to describe formal elements like meter, rhyme, or structure.

### 2. beautiful or imaginative

adjective · CEFR B2

having a beautiful or emotional quality, like a poem.

For teachers: possessing qualities of beauty, rhythm, or emotional resonance that evoke the feeling of poetry.

- The dancer's movements were so poetic that the audience stayed silent.
- The director's use of slow motion and soft lighting gave the film a poetic quality that transcended its simple plot.

Usage: Commonly used to describe prose, dance, or visual art that feels elevated or emotional.

### 3. poetic justice

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

used in the phrase 'poetic justice' to describe a situation where someone gets exactly what they deserve.

For teachers: occurring in the fixed expression 'poetic justice', referring to an outcome where vice is punished and virtue rewarded in an appropriate way.

- It was poetic justice when the thief's own car was stolen.
- The antagonist's eventual downfall felt like poetic justice, as he was undone by the very schemes he had used to exploit others.

Usage: Almost exclusively found in the collocation 'poetic justice'.

## Examples

- The dancer moved with poetic grace.
- The film's ending was a poetic tribute to the director's childhood in the countryside.
- While the technical manual was dry and functional, the author's introduction offered a poetic reflection on the human desire to build and create.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.