poetess
Woman who versifies
A poetess is a female poet.
The word was once standard but now sounds dated or condescending, as if women who write poetry need a separate category.
Most style guides recommend poet for all genders: Emily Dickinson was a great American poet.
Poetess persists mainly in historical contexts or translations from languages where gendered forms remain common.
Ancient Greek woman poet
- authoressFemale literary creator
- songstressFemale musical performer
- museThink deeply about
- bluestockingLiterary-minded woman, historically
sibyl · priestess · lyricist · versifier · sonneteer · elegist · balladeer · troubadour
Metered poetic passage
- stanzaPoem's line grouping
- rhymeMatching terminal sounds
- meterDevice that measures usage
- sonnetFourteen-line metered poem
ballad · ode · elegy · haiku · imagery · rhythm · cadence · diction
Think deeply about
- creativityCapacity for original thought
- imaginationFaculty for forming ideas
- visionaryImaginative planner of futures
- geniusPerson of rare brilliance
insight · originality · intuition · epiphany · artistry · flair · talent · sensibility
Sappho
Ancient Greek woman poet
- authoressFemale literary creator
- songstressFemale musical performer
- museThink deeply about
bluestocking · sibyl · priestess · lyricist · versifier · sonneteer · elegist · balladeer · troubadour
verse
Metered poetic passage
sonnet · ballad · ode · elegy · haiku · imagery · rhythm · cadence · diction · quatrain
muse
Think deeply about
- creativityCapacity for original thought
- imaginationFaculty for forming ideas
- visionaryImaginative planner of futures
genius · insight · originality · intuition · epiphany · artistry · flair · talent · sensibility · reverie
poetessnovelist
Writer of prose narratives
prose writer · essayist · journalist · fiction writer · playwright