# poetry

/ˈpoʊətɹi/ (US) · /pˈəʊɪtɹi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/poetry
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. literary form

noun · CEFR B1

writing that uses rhythm and often rhyme to share feelings or ideas.

For teachers: literature written in verse, often employing rhythmic patterns, imagery, and metaphorical language to convey emotional or philosophical meaning.

- She loves reading poetry before she goes to sleep at night.
- The professor argued that modern poetry often abandons traditional rhyme schemes in favour of free verse and internal rhythm.

Usage: Uncountable in this sense; you cannot say 'a poetry' to mean a single poem.

### 2. a poet's work

noun · CEFR B2

all the poems written by a specific person.

For teachers: the collective body of work produced by a specific poet.

- We spent the whole semester studying the poetry of Robert Frost.
- The exhibition explores how the poet's later poetry reflects a growing preoccupation with mortality and the passage of time.

### 3. graceful quality

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

a quality of beauty or grace that makes you feel a strong emotion.

For teachers: an aesthetic or artistic quality in any medium that evokes a profound emotional response or displays exceptional elegance.

- There was a kind of poetry in the way the dancer moved across the stage.
- Critics praised the film for its visual poetry, noting how the director used light and shadow to tell a story without dialogue.

## Examples

- She loves reading poetry before she goes to sleep.
- The teacher asked the students to write a piece of poetry about their favorite childhood memory.
- While some readers prefer the clear narrative of a novel, others find that poetry captures the fleeting nuances of human emotion with a precision that prose cannot match.

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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.