Rational poetry: Verse emphasizing logical argument, clear reasoning, and intellectual content over emotional expression or imaginative fancy, characteristic of Enlightenment and neoclassical periods. Rational poetry values clarity, order, and persuasive argument, often addressing philosophical or social questions through versified logic. This tradition assumes poetry can and should appeal to reason and convey truth through structured argument. Understanding rational poetry reveals historical diversity in poetry's purposes and methods, showing that emotion and imagination represent only some of poetry's possible modes and that reasoned discourse has its own poetic traditions.

Rational poetry emphasizes logical thought, clear argumentation, and intellectual content over emotion or imagery. Common in Enlightenment verse, this approach values reason and systematic development of ideas.