Ever felt the need to praise someone or something? Did you know that’s what the ode is all about? Odes are lyrical poems that share the author’s feelings toward a person, place, thing, or idea. Odes originated in Ancient Greece and were usually accompanied by music. There are three types of odes: the Pindaric, the Horatian, and the irregular. Odes contain emotion and sincerity.

Pindaric odes were named for Pindar, an Ancient Grecian lyrical poet. These classical odes were made up of three parts: a strophe, the antistrophe, and the epode, which were types of stanzas to organize the ode. Odes during this time were sung publicly by a chorus. These were often sung during the ancient Olympic games to celebrate winners. Members of the chorus moved during the ode. The strophe was the first part of the ode. As the chorus sang, they would move in one direction. The antistrophe is a reply to balance out the strophe. It is sometimes sung in a different key. When the chorus sang the antistrophe, they would move in the opposite direction they had when singing the strophe. And for the epode, the third and final part of the ode, the chorus would stop center stage for their big finale. You can read more about Pindar here.

William Wordsworth’s Ode on Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood has been said to be a good example of an English Pindaric Ode. It’s so long, however, I decided to link to it rather than posting it. Click here to read this ode.

The second type of ode is the Horatian ode named after Quintus Horatius Flaccus, known to most as Horace. He was a poet during the Roman era and known for his odes. Horace’s odes were written in quatrains with rhyme schemes as opposed to the more structured Pindaric odes. Click here to read an example of a Horatian ode.

Finally there is the irregular ode. Irregular odes usually do use rhyme schemes, though they do not have the set structure of the Pindaric ode’s three parts or the quatrains in the Horatian ode. Click here to read Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats, one of his five great odes.

For fun, why not write an ode to something you love? And, yes, it can be totally silly.

Here is my (very poor) ode to chocolate. I only tried to rhyme every second and fourth line…

Oh Chocolate!

You are beautiful everywhere,
A temptation no matter the time,
In many flavors you come, dark, milk, and white,
You taste so good, you make me speak in rhyme.
What creaminess is your lot,
What sweetness in my mouth,
Whether I am sad, happy, hungry, or not.
It is not you I crave?
What mad pursuit, oh chocolate. What struggle to resist.
You melt in my mouth. You bring bliss.
No sweeter treat ever. Never is there better.
Oh, chocolate, when you are gone, you are greatly missed.

Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms, and the author of several young adult fantasy novels including the Blood of Kings trilogy. She loves teaching about writing. She blogs at goteenwriters.com and also posts writing videos on her YouTube channel and on Instagram. Jill is a Whovian, a Photoshop addict, and a recovering fashion design assistant. She grew up in Alaska without running water or electricity and now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two kids. Find Jill online at jillwilliamson.com or on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.