In literal use, delineate means to draw a boundary or give clear form. In poetry, it is useful for describing how a poet defines contours, distinctions, or relationships through language. It appears in craft terminology because it emphasizes exactness and the making of clear form.

Delineate emphasizes clarity and precision of outline, often used in discussions of descriptive or naturalist poetry where a poet renders a scene, object, or character with careful, almost scientific exactness; the term is closely associated with poets like Marianne Moore, whose precise, detailed descriptions of animals and objects exemplify delineation as a craft technique; instructors might contrast delineation with more impressionistic or suggestive descriptive techniques, discussing how the choice between precise outline and evocative vagueness shapes a poem's tone and reader experience.