Writing Odes
in the 21st Century
If you are told to read or write an ode, chances are, you’ll think of an old, stuffy poem that’s probably not even in English. Or, you might think of Beethoven’s famous Ode To Joy, in which the music and the composer are far more famous than the poet who wrote the words, Friedrich Schiller. However, odes are so much more than this, and I would argue that the ode is a versatile poetic form that is perfectly suited to the 21st century poet.
What is an ode?
An ode is a specific form in which poetry can be written. Odes are lyric poems, meaning the focus is on emotion and imagery rather than a story, which is the realm of narrative poetry. Odes were originally sung or accompanied with a dance, which is why many odes emphasise metre and rhyme to lend a sense of musicality.
Odes tend to centre on the praise of a person, animal, or object, the receptor of the “Ode To ___.” Thought you might think this would lead to a flurry of overly positive and soppy poetry, there is a wide range of interpretations of the purpose of an ode, with many conveying a sense of respect instead, such as Allen Tate’s Ode to the Confederate Dead. But there’s also no harm in writing a sunny poem once in a while. Perhaps it might even do you some good, if you’re the type that is predisposed to angsty poems (which sometimes seems to be where 21st century poetry is headed).
Odes often use the poetic apostrophe, which is easiest described as the “O” or “Oh” that some poets use at the start of a sentence to address a subject, animate or inanimate, sometimes even the reader. While some might feel that adding poetic apostrophe makes their writing seem dated and archaic, I have used it in a few of my poems, and I like the look and sound of it. The key is to use it when it feels natural.
Famous odes
Here is a list of famous odes which I have come across in my ramblings and readings.
- Ode to the West Wind by Percy Shelley
- Ode To A Nightingale by John Keats
- On Melancholy by John Keats
- The Progress of Poesy by Thomas Gray
- Ode on Solitude by Alexander Pope
- Ode: Of Wit by William Cowley
And if you’d like to read some that were written in the last two centuries:
- Ode to the Confederate Dead by Allen Tate
- A Small Ode on Mixed Flatting by James K. Baxter
- Home Movies: A Sort Of Ode by Mary Jo Salter
- Ode to a Grasshopper by Pedro Pietri
- Ode to My Socks by Pablo Neruda
As you can see, the subjects and titles vary greatly. One of the things I love about writing odes is that you can write one about anything. The theme of “praise” can also be interpreted in many ways.
What are the kinds of ode?
Pindaric Ode:
Pindaric odes are the oldest form, and were designed by the Greek poet Pindar. True to Greekness, the themes in Pindaric odes are usually grand and impressive. They use a triadic structure, meaning there are three stanzas:
- Strophe (a single stanza)
- Antistrophe (another stanza with the same form as the strophe, often with a contrasting theme)
- Epode (the final stanza, serving as a “conclusion,” with a different length/meter to the others)
Horatian Ode:
A newer form, newer meaning from the Roman times, developed by the poet Horace. It tends to be less strict with the rhyme, line length, and theme, with odes being allowed to describe more “mundane” or “intimate” themes.
Essentially, you can set your own rhyme scheme, line length, and stanza length, but the stanzas need to use this same set of restrictions consistently. This is known as being “homostrophic.”
Irregular Ode (aka Cowleyan ode)
In an irregular ode, you can do whatever you like! This was named after the poet Abraham Cowley. If you don’t want to be told how to write your poem, but it holds true to the purpose of an ode in praising or respecting its subject matter, then you can still call it an “Ode To ___” no matter how it is structured, and tell people it’s an irregular ode.
Conclusion
Should we be writing odes in the 21st century? While many modern poets shy away from the constrictions of official poetic forms, we have much to learn from studying the masterpieces of the past, and selectively applying the stylistic features which resonate with our own writing.
In my opinion, an ode is a versatile poetic form which provides a lot of options to pick and choose the theme, structure, and every other feature of the poem. Furthermore, trying out a strict poetic form might help beginning poets struggling to make a start on the page by providing a framework that gives them the opportunity to focus on how they want to phrase and express their ideas, without needing to worry about every choice of line break, rhyme, and meter.
Writing odes in the 21st century is not a dead art form, in fact, perhaps we need to write a few more poems of praise to help brighten up our world.
Ever tried writing an ode? Comment below!