Foucault's genealogy analyzes how knowledge and power produce subjects. In poetry, it informs works that interrogate historical narratives, uncovering suppressed voices or alternative histories. Poets may trace a lineage of ideas or images, revealing their constructed nature. This approach challenges universal truths, showing that concepts are rooted in specific contexts, thereby giving poetry a critical and self-reflexive dimension.

Genealogy, as employed by Friedrich Nietzsche and later by Michel Foucault, is a historical method that traces the descent and development of ideas, values, and practices. Unlike traditional history, which seeks a linear, progressive narrative, genealogy exposes the contingent, often violent origins of things we take for granted and reveals the power relations that have shaped them. It shows that our current truths are the result of accidents, conflicts, and acts of will, not a rational or inevitable unfolding. In poetry, genealogy can inform works that interrogate historical narratives, uncover suppressed voices, or trace a lineage of ideas or images. A poet might write a poem that traces the history of a word, a symbol, or a political ideal, revealing its complex and often problematic past. This gives poetry a critical, self-reflexive dimension, challenging "universal" truths.