Ode
An ode is a formal lyric poem that is written in celebration, appreciation, or dedication.
They are generally directed as a specific person, place, idea, or object. Unlike other forms of poetry, the ode does not have a strict line or stanza requirement.
Traditionally they aren’t very long but encompass a variety of other structures, such as the elegy and sonnet.
Usually, the tone is serious, genuine, and reflective. The subject matter, as stated above, can vary but it is always something the poet feels deserves attention.
The word “ode” comes from the Greek word “aidein,” meaning to sing.
Today, we recognize three traditional ode forms. They are the Pindaric ode, the Horatian ode, and the Irregular ode.
Pindaric Ode
The first, the Pindaric ode, also known as the Greek ode, derives its name from a Greek poet who wrote songs performed by dancers and choruses of singers. They celebrated major events and moments in history. These songs were irregular in their length, metrical patterns, and rhyme but were consistently made up of three parts. The three sections: the strophe, antistrophe, and epode.
A Strophe (/ˈstroʊfiː/) is a poetic term originally referring to the first part of the ode in Ancient Greek tragedy, followed by the antistrophe and epode. The term has been extended to also mean a structural division of a poem containing stanzas of varying line length. Strophic poetry is to be contrasted with poems composed line-by-line non-stanzaically, such as Greek epic poems or English blank verse, to which the term stichic applies.
An Antistrophe is often compared to another literary device, epistrophe, due to the use of repetition at the end of lines. The word “antistrophe” comes from the Greek meaning “a turning back.” It traditionally refers to an ode sung by a chorus in its returning movement from west to east. It was sung in response to a strophe. The antistrophe was considered an act of balance, offsetting the strophe, which was sung from east to west.
An Epode is a verse form composed of two lines differing in construction and often in metre, the second shorter than the first. In Greek lyric odes, an epode is the third part of the three-part structure of the poem, following the strophe and the antistrophe. The word is from the Greek epōidós, “sung” or “said after.”
Horatian Ode
It comes from the Latin tradition of the Aeolic ode and is written with the intention of crafting a calm and contemplative tone. These odes were meant to bring peace to the reader. The ode was named for the 1st-century-BC poet Horace. These written works are usually concerned with themes of love, joy, and the act of writing. These poems are short and made up of around two quatrains.
Irregular Ode
An irregular ode is a poem that does not conform to either the structures set out in the Horatian or Pindaric forms. The verse is generally irregular and the stanzas lack any sort of prescribed order. There is no formal rhyme scheme in this kind of ode, giving the poet the freedom to experiment with their verse.