Poetry Feast

An online poetry arcive with biographies and critical analysis.

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Write an Ode

An ode poem usually has no set meter, though it will have a rhyming pattern. Odes usually extoll the virtues of an individual, often after their death, however take a look at some of the ode poems by Pablo Neruda.

The ode has traditionally been seen as a form associated with ideas - love, joy etc. Neruda has turned this idea around, creating odes based around everyday objects that are under appreciated.

This can be a novel new way to write if you are searching for inspiration for your next poem. Your ode can be about anything - try and find a mundane object and view it a new light. Appreciate it’s underappreciated qualities and try and see what these could mean.

For example, ‘ode to the knife’ would be expected to be a very dark poem, but you could try and find other angles from which to view this. A knife is also a very useful everyday tool.