poem

views updated May 17 2018

poem XVI. — (O)F. poème or L. poēma — Gr. póēma, early var. of poíēma work, fiction, poetical work, f. poeîn, poieîn make, create, rel. to Skr. cinṓti, cáyati assemble, heap up, construct, OSl. c̆inŭ arrangement, series.
So poesy (arch.) poetry, poem XIV; †POSY XV. — (O)F. poésie — Rom. *poēsia, for L. poēsis — Gr. póēsis, poíēsis creation, poetry, poem; see -Y3. poet XIII. — (O)F. poète — L. poēta — Gr. poētḗs, poiētḗs maker, author, poet. poetaster XVI — modL. poētāster; see -ASTER. poetic XVI. — (O)F. poétique — L. poēticus — Gr. po(i)ētikós. poetical XIV (rare before XVI). poetics treatise on poetry, as that of Aristotle. XVIII. poetry XIV. — medL. poētria.

poem

views updated May 23 2018

po·em / ˈpōəm; ˈpōim; pōm/ • n. a piece of writing that partakes of the nature of both speech and song that is nearly always rhythmical, usually metaphorical, and often exhibits such formal elements as meter, rhyme, and stanzaic structure. ∎  something that arouses strong emotions because of its beauty: you make a poem of riding downhill on your bike.

poem

views updated May 17 2018

poem. Literary term introduced into music by Liszt with the expression ‘symphonic poem’ to apply to his narrative orch. works. Famous individual works bearing this title are the Poem by Fibich, a movt. from his orch. serenade At Twilight (V Podvečer), and the Poème for vn. and orch., 1896, by Chausson.