'poeticize' originates from English formation combining the adjective 'poetic' and the verb-forming suffix '-ize' (from Greek '-izein' via Latin '-izare' and Old French '-iser').

The element 'poetic' comes from Latin 'poeticus', from Greek 'poiētikos' (related to 'poiētēs' meaning 'maker' from the verb 'poiein' meaning 'to make'). English formed the verb 'poeticize' in the late 18th century by adding '-ize' to 'poetic', yielding 'poeticize' and its past form 'poeticized'.

Initially it meant 'to render into poetry' or 'to make poetic'; over time it retained that core sense but also developed the additional nuance 'to idealize or romanticize' ordinary things.