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poetica

poetics

noun poh-EH-tee-kah Rare
Arts & Culture Literature

Origin: Greek poiētikē (tekhnē), 'the art of poetry'

Also means

artistic vision

Usage Note

Poetica (feminine) refers to an author's or movement's characteristic aesthetic principles and creative vision — broader than just 'poetry'. Aristotle's treatise Poetica gave the word its philosophical weight. In Italian criticism la poetica di Dante means 'Dante's artistic vision/principles', not merely his poems. The plural poetiche is used when discussing multiple poets' styles.

Examples

"La poetica di Leopardi è profondamente pessimistica."

Natural Translation

Leopardi's poetics is deeply pessimistic.

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