Paved with Grime

Visual Poetry by Individualist

This poem is my experiment with an Ode, in particular this poem is a try at a Horatian Ode which is less formal and follows more contemplative themes. I set my own rules for these stanzas. The Ode was first written by the Greeks and was popular with the Romans. It was a very formal and theatrical meter that was written to be sung by the chorus in the traditional Greek Plays. The style has been translated to English literature and has been popular but has waned in modern times since it is so highly structured.


The traditional Classical Ode is the Pindaric Ode which is written in three 10 line stanzas following Iambic Pentameter. The poem is broken into the strophe, antistrophe and epode. The Strophe and Antistrophe follow a similar meter and rhyming scheme which can be set in the Horatian Ode. The Chorus would sing the strophe (which means “turn” in Greek) while walking from the western side of the stage to the east. The Antistrophe was sung returning back to the west from the eastern side of the stage. The epode would be sung from the center of the stage and followed a separate meter and rhyming scheme. The epode’s purpose was to resonate or bring together the two stanza’s of the strophe and antistrophe.

The Horation Ode is more contemplative and tranquil and alternative structures can be used. That is the method I used for this poem. In my poem the theme transfers from the perspective of the subjects (the children and the workers) and the pictures show opposite perspectives of the similar scenes.

I hope you enjoy this piece. For more explanation on Odes please reference these sites:

[Poets.Org]
 
[How to write an Ode]