Essay on "Ode"_Literary forms & Criticism

Literary Forms & Criticism
Unit-I
Poetry
“Ode”

Origin and Definition

“Ode” comes from the Greek aeidein, meaning to sing or chant, and belongs to the long and varied tradition of lyric poetry. Originally accompanied by music and dance, and later reserved by the Romantic poets to convey their strongest sentiments, the ode can be generalized as a formal address to an event, a person, or a thing not present.

There are three typical types of odes: the Pindaric, Horatian, and Irregular. The Pindaric is named for the ancient Greek poet Pindar, who is credited with inventing the ode. Pindaric odes were performed with a chorus and dancers, and often composed to celebrate athletic victories. They contain a formal opening, or strophe, of complex metrical structure, followed by an antistrophe, which mirrors the opening, and an epode, the final closing section of a different length and composed with a different metrical structure.

In its traditional application, “ode” denotes a long lyric poem that is serious in subject and treatment, elevated in style, and elaborate in its stanza structure. Norman Maclean said that the term now calls to mind a lyric which is “massive, public in its proclamations, and Pindaric in its classical prototype” The prototype was established by the Greek poet Pindar, whose odes were modelled on the songs by the chorus in Greek drama.

The regular or Pindaric ode in English is a close imitation of Pindar’s form, with all the strophes and antistrophes written in one stanza pattern, and all the epodes in another. This form was introduced into England by Ben Jonson’s ode “To the Immortal Memory and Friendship of That Noble Pair, Sir Lucius Cary and Sir H. Morison” (1629); the typical construction can be conveniently studied in this poem or in Thomas Gray’s “The Progress of Poesy” (1757).

The irregular ode, also called the Cowleyan Ode, was introduced in 1656 by Abraham Cowley, who imitated the Pindaric style and matter but disregarded the recurrent stanza pattern in each strophic triad; instead, he allowed each stanza to establish its own pattern of varying line lengths, number of lines, and rhyme scheme. Wordsworth’s “Ode: Intimations of Immortality”

Features

In Greek, the word 'Ode' means 'Song'. It was used by the Greeks for any kind of lyric verse. An English ode may be defined as a lyric poem of elaborate metrical structure, solemn in tone, and usually taking the form of address'. The ode has to have the following features:

1. It should be in the form of an address, not written about but written to as in Shelley's 'Ode to a Skylark'.

2. It is lyrical with emotional intensity.

3. It is dignified and exalted.

4. In its style, it is elevated.

5. The development of thought is logical.

6. It may be regular or irregular in metre.

Define 'Ode' and comment on various types of odes in English.

1. Definition: Ode

The name given to an extended lyric poem characterized by exalted emotion and dignified style. An Ode usually concerns a single, serious theme. Most odes, but not all, are addressed to an object or individual. Odes are distinguished from other lyric poetic forms by their complex rhythmic and stanza patterns.

2. Types of Odes

The Regular Ode

The regular or Pindaric Ode in English is a close imitation of Pindar's form. In it, strophes and antistrophes are written in one stanza and all the epodes in another. It was introduced by Ben Johnson in 1629. Thomas Grays Ode "The Progress of Poesy" may be taken as an example.

The Irregular Ode

The irregular ode introduced by was Abraham Cowley in 1656. He imitated the Pindaric style and matter. He changed the strophic triad. He allowed each stanza to establish its own pattern and its rhyme scheme. This was called irregular stanza structure. It is free to alter according to the subject and mood, Wordsworth followed it in "Ode: Intimations of Immortality" in 1827.

3. The Pindaric Ode

Pindar, the greatest lyric poet of ancient Greece (6th to 5th century BC) was the father of the Pindaric or Choric Ode. Pindar's Odes were written to praise and glorify someone. Pindar was the greatest lyric poet of ancient Greece. He wrote odes to honour God or to sing the triumphs or victories of rulers or athletes. They are also known as triumphal Odes. The following are the characteristic features of Pindaric Ode:

1. It has a fixed stanza structure.

2. The number of stanzas may vary.

3. Stanzas are arranged and they are called triad, the first one is called strophe, the second one "antistrophe" and the third one "epode".

4. There is also variation in metrical length.

Cowley introduced the Pindaric odes in English. He imitated Pindaric odes. He introduced new verse form with irregular stanzas and without any fixed system of metre or rhyme. The true Pindaric in triad form was introduced by Dryden in "Ode to St. Cecilion" and "Alexander's Feast" and by Gray in "The Bard" and "The Progress of Poesy". But some of the greatest odes in English are of irregular kind such as, Tennyson's "Ode on the Death of Duke Wellington", Shelley's "Ode to Liberty" and Wordsworth's Ode on the intimations of Immortality". Like, Pindaric Odes, English Odes were also written to eulogies something like the following:

1. John Dryden's "Anne Killigrew to eulogize a person.

2. Collin's "Ode to Evening" to praise a time of day.

3. Gray's "Hymn to Adversity" to praise abstract concepts.

4. The Horatian Ode

The Horatian Ode is named after Horace. He imitated Pindar with modifications. Horatian Ode consists of a number of stanzas with more or less regular metrical structure but without any division into triads of the Pindaric. Horatian odes are calm, meditative and colloquial. They are homostrophic, written in a repeated single stanza form. It is light and personal without the elaboration and complexity of the Pindaric. Marvelous examples is Marvel's "An Horatian Ode upon Cromwel's Return from Ireland" (1650). Some of them are: Colin's "Ode to Simplicity", Ode to Evening and Gray's "Eton Ode" and Shelley's "Ode to the Westwind", Wordsworth's "Ode to Duty", and Keat's "Ode to Nightingale" and "Ode to Autumn".

5. Ode in other Ages

In the Victorian era, Tennyson and Swinburne are the greatest writers of odes. Tennyson wrote 'Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington", "Ode for the opening of the international Exhibition" and "Ode to Memory" Francis Thompson also wrote "The Hounds of Heaven", a religious ode. Hopkins's "Ode the Wreck of on Deutschland" is also an ecclesiastical ode.