Home › Glossary › Letter P

Pindaric

Adjective
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

Describing an ode style characterized by its formal, complex, and irregular three-part stanza structure (strophe, antistrophe, epode)

Detailed Definition
Pindaric refers to odes modeled after those of the ancient Greek poet Pindar, marked by formal, exalted style, complex stanza structures (often triadic with strophe, antistrophe, and epode), and themes of triumph, glory, or the divine; in English literature, Pindaric odes were adapted by poets like Ben Jonson and Thomas Gray, praising achievements or solemn events with grandeur and dignity, though sometimes in looser imitations.
Example
Example in poetry:
Thomas Gray’s “The Bard” imitates Pindaric odes with strophe, antistrophe, and epode structure celebrating national myth; Ben Jonson’s “Ode to Himself” uses Pindaric grandeur to defend artistic integrity; In “Ode on Intimations of Immortality,” Wordsworth adapts Pindaric energy to Romantic introspection; Modernist H.D. reimagines Pindaric form in “Helen” with fragmented strophes; Contemporary poet Anne Carson’s “The Glass Essay” echoes Pindaric shifts between personal and mythic registers.
Additional Notes
Pindaric refers to the style of Greek poet Pindar: highly formal odes with complex metrical structure, often celebrating victories.
Also Known As
After Pindar Complex ode style Greek choral manner Triadic form
Skip to main content