Building on structuralism, poststructuralism deconstructs its categories. In poetry, it translates into fragmented forms, self-reflexivity, and a resistance to closure. Poems become open-ended, celebrating the play of signifiers. This approach challenges the idea of a single authorial intention, making the reader an active participant in creating meaning. It has profoundly influenced contemporary poetry's style and its engagement with language.

Poststructuralism is a broad intellectual movement that emerged in the mid-20th century, building upon and radicalizing the insights of structuralism. It questions the stability of meaning, identity, and truth, emphasizing the role of language in constructing reality. Poststructuralists like Derrida and Foucault deconstruct the structuralist belief in stable systems, showing that meaning is fluid, contingent, and always deferred. In poetry, poststructuralism translates into fragmented forms, self-reflexivity, and a resistance to closure. Poems become open-ended texts that celebrate the play of signifiers. This approach challenges the idea of a single authorial intention, making the reader an active participant in creating meaning. It has profoundly influenced contemporary poetry's style and its engagement with language.