Seems sad composing poems (5)
I believe the answer is:
mopes
'seems sad' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.
'composing poems' is the wordplay.
'composing' indicates an anagram.
'poems' is an anagram of 'MOPES'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for mopes that I've seen before include "Behaves in a depressed or aimless way" , "Feels dejected" , "Hangs around apathetically" , "Broods about poems" , "Hangs about moodily" .)