Definitions for poetaster
ˈpoʊ ɪtˌæs tərpo·et·aster

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. poetasternoun

   An unskilled poet.

2. Etymology: From the poetaster

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. POETASTERnoun

   A vile petty poet.

   Etymology: Latin.

   Let no poetaster command or intreat
   Another extempore verses to make. Ben Jonson.

   Begin not as th’ old poetaster did,
   Troy’s famous war, and Priam’s fate I sing. Wentworth Dillon.

   Quintus Horatius Flaccus hath exposed those trifling poetasters, that spend themselves in glaring descriptions, and sewing here and there some cloth of gold on their sackcloth. Henry Felton.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Poetaster

   Poetaster , like rhymester or versifier, is a derogatory term applied to bad or inferior poets. Specifically, poetaster has implications of unwarranted pretensions to artistic value. The word was coined in Latin by Erasmus in 1521. It was first used in English by Ben Jonson in his 1600 play Cynthia's Revels; immediately afterwards Jonson chose it as the title of his 1601 play Poetaster. In that play the "poetaster" character is a satire on John Marston, one of Jonson's rivals in the Poetomachia or War of the Theatres.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Poetasternoun

   an inferior rhymer, or writer of verses; a dabbler in poetic art

FreebaseRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Poetaster

   Poetaster, like rhymester or versifier, is a contemptuous name often applied to bad or inferior poets. Specifically, poetaster has implications of unwarranted pretentions to artistic value. The word was coined in Latin by Erasmus in 1521. It was first used in English by Ben Jonson in his 1600 play Cynthia's Revels; immediately afterwards Jonson chose it as the title of his 1601 play The Poetaster. In that play the "poetaster" character is a satire on John Marston, one of Jonson's rivals in the Poetomachia or War of the Theatres. While poetaster has always been a negative appraisal of a poet's skills, rhymester and versifier have held ambiguous meanings depending on the commentator’s opinion of a writer's verse. Versifier is often used to refer to someone who produces work in verse with the implication that while technically able to make lines rhyme they have no real talent for poetry. Rhymer on the other hand is usually impolite despite attempts to salvage the reputation of rhymers such as the Rhymers' Club and Rhymer being a common last name. The faults of a poetaster frequently include errors or lapses in their work's meter, badly rhyming words which jar rather than flow, oversentimentality, too much use of the pathetic fallacy and unintentionally bathetic choice of subject matter.

Anagrams for poetaster »

1. operettas

How to pronounce poetaster?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say poetaster in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of poetaster in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of poetaster in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of poetaster in a Sentence

1. Hindu Poetess:

   The dull-hued turkey apes the gait Of lordly peacock, richly plumed; And thus the poetaster shows When he would fain his verse recite.