Éigse carries a double meaning: it can refer to poetry as an abstract art and learning, and it names the community or assembly of poets and scholars who practised and transmitted that art. The word is related to the verb feic or éigim, suggesting vision or inspired utterance. In the modern period, Éigse became the name of an influential Irish-language journal dedicated to literary and linguistic scholarship, reflecting the term's association with rigorous learned tradition. For poets of the Revival and after, invoking éigse signalled commitment to the full depth of the Irish literary inheritance rather than merely its surface folk colour.

Éigse refers to the learned tradition of Irish poetry, encompassing both the craft and the community of scholars. It implies a high level of technical skill, historical knowledge, and linguistic mastery. In poetry, éigse represents the intellectual heritage of Ireland, preserved through rigorous training. Poets identify with the éigse to claim authority and continuity with the past. The decline of the éigse is a major theme in lament poetry, mourning the loss of standardized education and patronage. It distinguishes professional poetry from folk verse.