poetiche

Poetiche is an Italian term that functions primarily as the feminine plural form of the adjective poetica, meaning poetic or pertaining to poetry. In literary and scholarly usage, poetiche can also denote the field of poetics, or the theory and analysis of poetry, similar to the English word poetics.

Etymology and meaning: poetica derives from Latin poetica, itself from Greek poietikē, related to poiēsai “to make.” As an adjective, poetiche modifies feminine plural nouns (for example, visioni poetiche, scuole poetiche), describing something with a poetic character or relation to poetry. As a noun in scholarly contexts, poetica or poetiche may refer to poetics—the systematic study of the nature, aims, and forms of poetry.

Usage in Italian: The term appears in discussions of literary theory and criticism, often in combinations such as “poetiche moderne,” “poetiche classiche,” or “poetiche della Beat generation.” While poetiche can function as a plural noun in some contexts, it is more common to encounter the singular poetica when referring to a specific theory, and the plural form is used when contrasting multiple poetic theories or schools.

In scholarship and culture: Poetics as a discipline encompasses analysis of meters, figures, genres, and the-making of poetry. Italian discussions of poetics include both historical traditions (e.g., Aristotelian poetics) and contemporary theoretical developments, sometimes under the umbrella of “poetiche” to indicate the breadth of poetic theories across periods and cultures.

See also: Poetics, Poetics in Italian literature, Italian literary theory.