POETRY


Meaning of POETRY in English

— poetryless , adj.

/poh"i tree/ , n.

1. the art of rhythmical composition, written or spoken, for exciting pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, or elevated thoughts.

2. literary work in metrical form; verse.

3. prose with poetic qualities.

4. poetic qualities however manifested: the poetry of simple acts and things.

5. poetic spirit or feeling: The pianist played the prelude with poetry.

6. something suggestive of or likened to poetry: the pure poetry of a beautiful view on a clear day.

[ 1350-1400; ME poetrie poetria poetic art, deriv. of poeta POET, but formation is unclear; prob. not poiétria poetess ]

Syn. 2. POETRY, VERSE agree in referring to the work of a poet. The difference between POETRY and VERSE is usually the difference between substance and form. POETRY is lofty thought or impassioned feeling expressed in imaginative words: Elizabethan poetry. VERSE is any expression in words which simply conforms to accepted metrical rules and structure: the differences between prose and verse.

Ant. 2. prose.

Random House Webster's Unabridged English dictionary.      Полный английский словарь Вебстер - Random House .