Used ropes, not poetry (5)
I believe the answer is:
prose
'not poetry' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
'used ropes' is the wordplay.
'used' indicates anagramming the letters.
'ropes' is an anagram of 'PROSE'.
(Other definitions for prose that I've seen before include "Ropes (anag.)" , "Text" , "Non-verse" , "Literary genre" , "Writings not in verse" .)