Ab absurdo refers to a form of reasoning that highlights logical impossibility by presenting an absurd premise. In poetry, it appears in satirical, ironic, or paradoxical verse where the poet deliberately embraces contradiction or impossibility to expose the limits of reason, the comic, or the tragic dimensions of existence. It connects to the broader literary tradition of reductio ad absurdum, and poets use it to subvert conventional logic, challenge orthodoxy, or reveal hidden truths through the shock of the ridiculous.

Ab absurdo is closely related to the formal logical technique reductio ad absurdum, but where reductio uses absurdity to disprove a proposition, ab absurdo as a poetic mode embraces the absurd premise as a creative starting point rather than merely a refutation. Poetry students should distinguish between the two: reductio ad absurdum argues from absurdity to demolish a position, while ab absurdo in verse often sustains the impossible premise throughout the poem to generate comic, satirical, or philosophical effects. Related terms include reductio ad absurdum, non sequitur, and paradox. When reading satirical or nonsense verse, look for how the poet maintains internal logical consistency within an absurd framework — this discipline is what separates great comic poetry from mere randomness. The tradition runs from Aristophanes through Lewis Carroll to contemporary spoken word.