ode

ode

noun \ˈōd\

Definition of ODE

: a lyric poem usually marked by exaltation of feeling and style, varying length of line, and complexity of stanza forms

— od·ist \-ist\ noun

Examples of ODE

1. This poem is titled, “An Ode to My Mother.”

Origin of ODE

Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French, from Late Latin, from Greek ōidē, literally, song, from aeidein, aidein to sing; akin to Greek audē voice

First Known Use: 1588

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

Rhymes with ODE

bode, bowed, code, goad, load, lode, mode, node, road, rode, toad, toed, woad

ode

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Ceremonious lyric poem on an occasion of dignity in which personal emotion and universal themes are united. The form is usually marked by exalted feeling and style, varying line length, and complex stanza forms. The term ode derives from a Greek word alluding to a choric song, usually accompanied by a dance. Forms of odes include the Pindaric ode, written to celebrate public events such as the Olympic games, and the form associated with Horace, whose intimate, reflective odes have two- or four-line stanzas and polished metres. Both were revived during the Renaissance and influenced Western lyric poetry into the 20th century. The ode (qasidah) also flourished in pre-Islamic Arabic poetry.