A strophe is the first section of a choral ode in Greek drama, usually followed by an antistrophe and sometimes an epode. In the original performance, the chorus moved in one direction during the strophe, then answered with a matching movement in the antistrophe. In modern poetry study, the word may also be used more loosely for a stanza or verse section.
Example
Chorus: We turn toward the dawn and lift our hands, then answer the wind in step with the sea.
Antistrophe: We turn back from the dawn and lift our hands, then answer the wind in step with the sea.
Epode: And still the shore remembers both our paths.
Related Definitions
[n] one section of a lyric poem or choral ode in classical Greek drama