poetry
- 01 B1 Intermediate
writing that uses rhythm and often rhyme to share feelings or ideas.
literature written in verse, often employing rhythmic patterns, imagery, and metaphorical language to convey emotional or philosophical meaning.
Simple“She loves reading poetry before she goes to sleep at night.”
In context“The professor argued that modern poetry often abandons traditional rhyme schemes in favour of free verse and internal rhythm.”
UsageUncountable in this sense; you cannot say 'a poetry' to mean a single poem.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
all the poems written by a specific person.
the collective body of work produced by a specific poet.
Simple“We spent the whole semester studying the poetry of Robert Frost.”
In context“The exhibition explores how the poet's later poetry reflects a growing preoccupation with mortality and the passage of time.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
a quality of beauty or grace that makes you feel a strong emotion.
an aesthetic or artistic quality in any medium that evokes a profound emotional response or displays exceptional elegance.
Simple“There was a kind of poetry in the way the dancer moved across the stage.”
In context“Critics praised the film for its visual poetry, noting how the director used light and shadow to tell a story without dialogue.”
From Middle English poetrye, poetrie, a borrowing from Old French pöeterie, pöetrie, from Medieval Latin poētria, from poēta (“poet”), from Ancient Greek ποιητής (poiētḗs, “poet; author; maker”). Displaced native Old English lēoþcræft.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.