Exposition in poetry refers to the strategic presentation of background information—setting, character, context, or premise—necessary for understanding the poem’s action or theme, often condensed into opening lines or integrated through allusion; unlike narrative prose, poetic exposition must balance clarity with lyric intensity, using image, metaphor, or dramatic monologue to convey essentials without didacticism, as in the opening of "The Raven" (“Once upon a midnight dreary…”) which establishes mood, time, and psychological state in a single evocative stroke.

Exposition in literary terms provides background, context, or explanation, helping the reader grasp themes or characters before the poem’s main action.