Poem
/ˈpoʊ.əm/noun
A piece of writing that uses rhythm, imagery, and concentrated language, often in verse.
Did you know?The word comes from Greek poiein, “to make,” so a poem was originally a made thing—language shaped as an act of creation.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ποίημα (poiēma)
“something made; a made thing, a composition”
Late Latin
Latin
poema
“a poem, literary composition”
Old French
Old French
poeme
“a poem”
Middle English
English
poem
“a poem, metrical composition”
Modern English
English
poem
“a piece of imaginative writing in verse or concentrated language”