Heretofore, poetically (6)
I believe the answer is:
erenow
'heretofore poetically' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is the entire clue.
(Other definitions for erenow that I've seen before include "Before this time (poet.)" , "previously" , "Before the present" , "Hitherto" , "Before this time (arch.)" .)