Ode - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT ode /oʊd/ /əʊd/ IPA guide

Other forms: odes

An ode is a kind of poem, usually praising something. A famous example is John Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn." Apparently, Keats was really into urns.

An ode is a form of lyric poetry — expressing emotion — and it's usually addressed to someone or something, or it represents the poet's musings on that person or thing, as Keats' ode tells us what he thought as he looked at the Grecian urn. The word ode comes from a Greek word for "song," and like a song, an ode is made up of verses and can have a complex meter.

Definitions of ode

noun a lyric poem with complex stanza forms see moresee less types: show 5 types... hide 5 types... epithalamium an ode in honor of a wedding Horatian ode, Sapphic ode an ode with several stanzas Pindaric, Pindaric ode an ode form used by Pindar; has triple groups of triple units choral ode ode sung by the chorus in classical Greek drama prothalamion, prothalamium a song in celebration of a marriage type of: lyric, lyric poem a short poem of songlike quality

Pronunciation US /oʊd/ UK /əʊd/ Cite this entry Style: MLA

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