Day 12: Ode

An ode, according to Oxford Language, is "a lyric poem, typically one in the form of an address to a particular subject". When studying my A Levels I studied John Keats' famous Odes - an experience I still remember vividly. Pindar, Dryden, Horace, Gray, and Wordsworth are other famous exponents of the form.

English odes are iambic in form (with the syllables following an unstressed-stressed pattern) but line lengths can be quite irregular. Pindaric odes historically celebrated athletes and their victories, while Horatian odes were more philosophical. You can also try the lesser-known Sapphic ode: while unrhyming, it follows a strict metre of quatrains, three 11-syllable lines, and a final five-syllable line. Or maybe you'll take Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" as your inspiration!

Whatever form your ode takes, address it to something or someone you really love. This can be even a little bit silly (e.g. Ode to the Warm Towel that just came out of the Dryer) or a deeply serious ode to the first love whom you've never quite got over.

We look forward to reading all of your declarations of love through an ode today.

Word prompts

fresh

rising

wanting

you

first

Remember, our prompts are only suggestions; you can find your inspiration wherever your muse leads you. Please visit the other participants' work, share the hashtag #OctPoWriMo on social media, and share your link in the comments below. Let us know how this journey into poetry is going for you.