A Pindaric ode is a formal lyric poem modeled on the odes of the ancient Greek poet Pindar. It traditionally uses elevated language and a dignified tone, often moving through groups of stanzas that shift in length or structure rather than following a single fixed pattern. In English poetry, the term can also refer more loosely to any ode written in that grand, ceremonial style.
Example
O bronze bell of dawn, lift your clear voice high,
Over the river's waking glass;
You call the fields to answer.
Now let the hills keep time,
And let the harvested orchards lean
Toward the bright name of day.
We praise the light that passes,
Yet leaves gold in the grass.
Related Definitions
[n] an ode form used by Pindar; has triple groups of triple units