Frequently, to a poet

OFT

Think of an archaic adverb Shakespeare might use to mean "many times," often seen in old ballads or sonnets.

This clue plays on the poetic or archaic use of "oft," which is an old-fashioned way of saying "often" or "frequently." Poets and writers in older English (like Shakespeare) would use "oft" to fit the rhythm or style of their work. The clue hints at this by specifying "to a poet," signaling that the answer isn’t the modern "often" but its shorter, literary cousin. It’s a straightforward definition with a nod to how language shifts over time.