Home › Glossary › Letter M

Monostrophic ode

Form
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An ode composed as a single, unified stanza rather than strophe-antistrophe

Detailed Definition
Monostrophic ode is a single-stanza ode that condenses the traditional multi-part structure (strophe, antistrophe, epode) into one unified section; it maintains the ode’s elevated tone and thematic grandeur while achieving focus and intensity through formal compression.
Example
Example in poetry:
Pindar’s Olympian Odes condensed into single strophes; Horace’s shorter odes like “Ode I.9” (Soracte); modern monostrophic odes in Neruda’s “Odes to Common Things”; single-stanza odes by Mary Oliver like “Ode to Softness”
Additional Notes
Monostrophic ode is single-stanza ode without divisions. Contrasts with Pindaric ode's triadic structure. Emphasizes continuous meditation. Related to irregular ode. See Collins' odes for examples of sustained lyric intensity.
Also Known As
Single-stanza ode One-strophe hymn Unified ode Unbroken celebration
Skip to main content