poeia

Poeia is a term rooted in the Greek verb poiein, meaning to make or create, and in the noun poiesis, meaning making, production, or creation. In English, poeia has appeared as an historical or specialist spelling related to poesy or poetry, and it is sometimes used in philological or scholarly discussions to denote the act or art of poetic creation.

In classical philosophy and aesthetics, poiesis is used to describe the process of making or producing art, as distinct from imitation (mimesis). The concept encompasses the work of the artist in shaping materials, language, and form into a completed poetic or artistic artifact. Because of its focus on creation, poiesis is closely tied to discussions of poetry’s function, craft, and expressive power. The term is also linked to poetics, the field concerned with the principles and theories of poetic composition.

In modern usage, poeia is rarely employed in everyday language. The more common terms are poetry, poesy, poiesis, and poetics. The related adjective poietic derives from the same root and describes the act of creation or shaping in literary contexts. When encountered in contemporary writing, poeia typically appears as a historical or transliteration variant rather than as a current, widespread term.

See also: Poetics, Poiesis, Poetry, Poesy, Poietic.