Horatian Ode

Horatian ode: characteristics

Here will look at some of the common characteristics of the Horatian ode. We will also look at how they differ from the other types of ode.

Celebration

The purpose of the original Greek (or Pindaric) ode was a celebration of an athletic victory in ancient Greece. The tradition of odes being used to celebrate remains in all forms today, but the difference with Horatian odes is the celebration of more personal subjects. The poet could choose to celebrate abstract ideas like in the poem 'Ode on Solitude' (1700) by Alexander Pope or physical objects like John Keats' 'Ode to a Nightingale'.

Intimate subjects

While the Pindaric ode was used to perform a public celebration of a person or event, the Horatian odes were intended to be more personal. The Horatian ode's choice of intimate subjects and regular meter aimed to present poems that are more tranquil rather than bombastic. John Keats' poem 'Ode on Autumn' (1820) is a reflection on both the beauty of the season and the speaker's own melancholy.

Less formal

Pindaric odes have a strict structure where the poem is divided into three sections called a strophe, an antistrophe and an epode. The epode would follow a different meter from the rest of the poem. The Horatian ode does not have such a strict structure; there is no limit on the number of stanzas or its meter or rhyme scheme, only that they are consistent throughout the poem.

Horatian ode: structure

As mentioned previously, the Horatian ode dismissed the strict structure of the Pindaric ode. But this does not mean the Horatian ode is without any formal structure. A Horatian ode typically consists of three stanzas: a stanza of two or four lines (called the strophe), followed by a stanza of the same length and meter (called the antistrophe), and finally a shorter stanza (called the epode) that often serves as a conclusion or summary of the preceding stanzas.

Many Horatian odes use formal meter and rhyme schemes with the stipulation that they do not change. If a poem is written in the iambic pentameter, then the poem will use iambic pentameter throughout.

The same applies to the poem's rhyme scheme. If an ode has a rhyme scheme of AABB (using rhyming couplets), then the poem will have couplets throughout the whole of it. We will look at an example from Andrew Marvell's 'An Horatian Ode Upon Cromwell's Return From Ireland' (1650).

'Tis time to leave the books in dust (A)

And oil th' unused armour's rust, (A)

Removing from the wall (B)

The corslet of the hall. (B)

The only rules for the structure of Horatian odes are that they consist of quatrains or couplets and that if using meter or a rhyme scheme, it is consistent.

Horatian ode: poems

Some of the more famous examples of the Horatian ode include 'Ode to a Nightingale', 'Ode on Solitude', and 'A Horatian Ode Upon Cromwell's Return From Ireland'.

'Ode to a Nightingale' (1819)

Perhaps the most famous example of a Horatian ode is the romantic poet John Keats' 'Ode to a Nightingale'. The speaker of the poem is listening to the nightingale's song in a dark forest. While entranced by the nightingale's song, the speaker muses on nature, beauty and death. Keats' ode is written in the iambic pentameter with a regular rhyme scheme of ABABCDECDE.

Here we can clearly see the poem's rhyme scheme and meter in the opening lines.

Fig. 2 - The nightingale provided inspiration for one of the most famous Horatian odes.

'Ode on Solitude' (1700)

It has been claimed that Alexander Pope wrote the poem 'Ode on Solitude' when only twelve years old. The poem speaks of the benefits of diligent work and solitude and the happiness they can bring. The speaker goes on to refer to how they would rather die alone and unknown rather than celebrated. The poem has a rhyme scheme of ABAB and is written in the iambic tetrameter.

'A Horatian Ode Upon Cromwell's Return From Ireland' (1650)

Andrew Marvell's poem uses the famous English statesman Oliver Cromwell as its subject. The poem's theme is almost similar to the more traditional Pindaric ode. The poem celebrates Cromwell's military victories against the Irish and his 'heroic' return. The poem then goes on to criticise King Charles I, deeming him unfit to rule. The poem consists of quatrains, each made up of two rhyming couplets.

Horatian ode: analysis

Horace created what was then known as carminas but are now commonly known as Horatian odes. The Horatian ode dispensed with the strict and inconsistent structure used in Pindaric odes to create odes that were less spontaneous and more ordered. The more ordered form of the poem made their tone more restrained. This allowed poets to address more intimate subjects such as love and relationships rather than heroic tales of victory.

The Horatian ode is less passionate than the Pindaric that came before it, it is more contemplative, and this is reflected in the subjects of the poems. Horatian odes often meditate on the beauty of nature and its sometimes melancholic effects. Where the odes focus less on the celebration of people or events, they are seen as a more personal form of poetry.

One notable feature of Horatian odes is their use of a persona, or a fictional speaker who may express views or opinions that differ from the author's own. This allows for a certain level of distance and objectivity, as well as the opportunity for irony and humour.

Overall, Horatian odes are known for their accessibility and their ability to capture the essence of everyday life in a relatable and often lighthearted way.