Poetic Terms Dictionary
Technique

Archaism

From Greek arkhaios: ancient. Spenser deliberately cultivated archaic diction; later Romantic poets used it for nostalgic or mock-heroic effect.

Definition

The deliberate use of outdated or old-fashioned words to evoke an earlier era or heightened solemnity.

Example

'Thee,' 'thou,' 'doth,' 'hath,' 'methinks' — poetic archaisms evoking Elizabethan or biblical authority.

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