Wit

Wit in poetry is sharp, clever expression that delights through surprise, irony, or an unexpected turn of thought. It often combines intelligence with brevity, letting a poet say something pointed or funny in a few well-chosen words.

Older criticism also used wit to mean mental brilliance or imagination, but in poetry it usually refers to verbal skill and inventive language rather than simple humor.

Example

Her smile was a winter sun-
small, pale, and somehow warming the room.

Related Definitions

[n] mental ability; "he's got plenty of brains but no common sense"
[n] a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter
[n] (informal) a witty amusing person who makes jokes

Links

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