Use poetic in literary and academic contexts to describe things that belong to or concern poetry: 'poetic form', 'poetic tradition', 'poetic devices', 'poetic licence'. It is the standard adjective for talking about poetry as an art form.
Use poetic in literary and academic contexts to describe things that belong to or concern poetry: 'poetic form', 'poetic tradition', 'poetic devices', 'poetic licence'. It is the standard adjective for talking about poetry as an art form.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| She studied the poeticle devices used in the sonnet. | She studied the poetic devices used in the sonnet. |
| The poem uses poetic's conventions of the era. | The poem uses the poetic conventions of the era. |
Use poetic in this figurative sense to describe anything that stirs the imagination or emotions through beauty or expressiveness: 'a poetic landscape', 'poetic prose', 'poetic movement'. It is a compliment implying the subject transcends the ordinary.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The stadium design was very poetic. | The stadium design was striking and dramatic. |
| She has a poetic personality. | She has an imaginative and expressive personality. |
Poetic covers both the technical sense (poetic form, poetic licence) and the figurative one (a poetic landscape, poetic justice). The adverb is poetically. The noun is poetics (the study or theory of poetry).
Using poetic when poetical is expected, or vice versa — today poetic is almost always right. Also, 'poetic licence' (not 'poetical licence') and 'poetic justice' are the fixed phrases.
From French poétique, from Latin poeticus ('of or for poets'), from Greek poiētikos ('creative, skilled in making'), from poiētēs ('maker, poet'), from poiein ('to make, create'). First recorded in English around 1490. The figurative sense of 'resembling poetry in beauty or feeling' developed naturally from the literary sense.
What does poetic mean?
Poetic has two main senses: relating to poetry ('poetic form', 'poetic tradition') and having a beautiful, evocative quality like poetry ('a poetic landscape', 'poetic prose').
What is poetic justice?
Poetic justice is when a situation turns out in a way that seems ideally fair — where wrongdoers are punished and good deeds are rewarded in a satisfying, almost story-like way. For example, a fraudster losing their fortune to a scammer is a case of poetic justice.
What is poetic licence?
Poetic licence is the freedom a writer or artist takes to bend rules — of fact, grammar, or convention — for artistic effect. For example, altering historical facts in a novel for dramatic impact.
What is the difference between poetic and lyrical?
Lyrical specifically suggests song-like musicality and emotional expression. Poetic is broader — it can mean technical (related to poetry) or figurative (beautiful and expressive). All lyrical writing is poetic, but not all poetic writing is lyrical.
What is the origin of the word poetic?
Poetic comes from Greek poiētikos ('creative, skilled in making'), from poiētēs ('maker, poet'), from poiein ('to make'). It passed through Latin poeticus and French poétique before entering English c. 1490.