In poetry, what is an Ode?

Question

So those written by John Keats or just in general.. what are these 'Odes'?
I've found mutiple meanings online but all different and complex.
please help asap! im in class now!

Answer 1

Ode (from the Ancient Greek ὠδή) is a type of lyrical verse. A classic ode is structured in three major parts: the strophe, the antistrophe, and the epode. Different forms such as the homostrophic ode and the irregular ode also exist.



a lyric poem with complex stanza forms

Answer 2

You've been finding different and complex answers because there isn't really a simple definition of an ode. Unlike a sonnet or a limerick, for example, an ode is not defined by a few rules about line count, meter, and rhyme scheme.



The simplest short answer to your question is that an ode is a poem of praise. In the John Keats poem you mention, the speaker praises the song of the nightingale. Look at any of the other odes you've studied in class, you'll find that they all praise something in some way.

Answer 3

An ode is a poem that is written for an magnificent occasion or on a subject with considerable importance. Odes are usually dignified and more serious as a form than other forms of poetry.



Taking the example suggested by you -Ode to a Nightingale, he deals with the aging and death of humans

Answer 4

In English poetry an Ode is a poem in a repeating stanzaform which the poet has invented specifically for just that poem.



There are many regular stanzaforms in English : ottava rima, Spenserian stanza, Rime royal etc. - but writing in set stanzas mainly went out of fashion sometimes around the end of the reign of Elizabeth I.



Early in the nineteenth century (mainly starting with Wordsworth, Southey, and Coleridge) there was a short fashion for writing medium-length poems in a repeating stanzaform, but one which had been made up specifically for that poem. This is mainly when the 'ode' settles down into its modern meaning in English.



There are a few important examples of odes from the eighteenth century (William Collins Ode to Evening was a very influential poem). But the form largely gets its modern definition and importance from the likes of Keats, Shelley, and Rogers.

Answer 5

The ode often praises people, the arts of music and poetry, natural scenes, or abstract concepts. The Romantic poets used the ode to explore both personal ...

Answer 6

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RE:

In poetry, what is an Ode?

So those written by John Keats or just in general.. what are these 'Odes'?

I've found mutiple meanings online but all different and complex.

please help asap! im in class now!

Answer 7

An ode is a terminal found in a battery

If the gap 'twixt the words you decide to omit

But praise, if sincere, well surpasses mere flattery

And is doubly impressive when seasoned with wit

Answer 8

An ode is a lyric poem (that is, it rhymes and it expresses personal feelings) that is addressed to a person or thing.