When starting out, brainstorm a list of possible topics. You might include your favorite foods, your favorite holiday, or important people in your life. Odes about people tend to be more serious, and more sincere, than odes about other things – but they don’t have to be. You could write an ode to your mother, for example, that was still light-hearted and full of loving humor.
For example, if you work in an office, you might consider writing an ode to the copier. In most offices, this is not a machine anyone would think to thank or sing praises to. On the contrary, it is the source of much office frustration. An ode to a common object you genuinely appreciate can also draw attention to that object and help others who read your poem see that they may have taken that object for granted. For example, you might write an ode to your coffee maker, or an ode to your headphones.
The Academy of American Poets has more than 8,000 poems, including odes, that you can read online for free. Go to https://www. poets. org/poetsorg/poems?field_form_tid=417 to read some famous odes of all types. For a fun ode about an everyday drink, try “Ode to Kool-Aid” by Marcus Jackson. “Ode to My Socks,” by Pablo Neruda, is an ode about a common object by a famous poet. William Wordsworth’s “Ode on Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood” is a good example of a Pindaric ode. If you’re looking for a Horatian ode, try “Ode to the Confederate Dead,” by Allen Tate.
For example, if you get together with a group of friends and the conversation instantly turns to the latest Star Wars movie, you might consider writing an ode to your favorite character from the films.
The Pindaric ode starts with a formal opening called a strophe, followed by an antistrophe that mirrors the structure of the opening. It closes with an epode, a longer stanza with an entirely different metrical structure than the strophe and antistrophe. The Horatian ode is less formal than the Pindaric ode, and uses a recurring stanza pattern. The Horatian structure may be used to particularly good effect if you’re writing a more humorous ode, since the formality of the structure would contrast with the substance of your poem.
Even when using the irregular form, consistency is the hallmark of an ode. While you’re free to choose your own meter and rhyme scheme with the irregular form, whatever scheme you choose should be employed consistently throughout your poem.
A classic ode is at least 4 stanzas, but you can make yours as long (or as short) as you want. [9] X Research source
It can help to note the rhymes on the margins of the paper where you write your ode. For example, if you’ve decided you’re going to rhyme every other line of a six-line stanza, you might write “ABABAB” to indicate that the first line will rhyme with the third and fifth, while the second line will rhyme with fourth and sixth.
It can help to find a quiet place to write where you can be alone with minimal distractions. That will give you the freedom to dive into your subject. Depending on the subject of your ode, you may find strong emotional responses rising to the surface. For example, you might find that you start to cry. Don’t be afraid to use that emotional response in your poem. Deep passion can evoke some of the best imagery.
For example, if you’re writing an ode to your coffee maker, you might include words such as dark, aroma, rich, bold, hot, and steamy. You could compare the coffee grounds to the earth or the soil.
To continue with the coffee maker example, you might list verbs such as bubble (up), brew, drip, pour, and steam. You could also include words such as rising or percolating.
You can be as specific or general as you want. If you’re writing an ode to your coffee maker, you could use the brand name of the coffee maker, or you could simply start your poem “Oh, coffee maker” or “Oh, coffee pot. " Depending on your rhyme scheme, you may want to choose a name that is easier to rhyme with other words.
This can be difficult if you’re writing an ode to an inanimate object, since you may not be in the habit of speaking directly to inanimate objects. Repeating your first line can help you stay focused on the perspective. For example, you might start every stanza “Oh, coffee pot. " If this starts to feel too monotonous, you can always take some of them out when you edit.
As you read through your lists, you’ll likely find that some images or thoughts naturally lead into each other. For example, if you’re writing an ode to your coffee maker, you might note that the idea that the steam rises from the freshly-brewed coffee flows perfectly into how drinking the coffee helps you to wake up in the morning. You could write “Oh coffee maker, as brewing your steam rises and wafts through the air, so I rise from fitful slumber. "
A line or section that causes you to stumble as you read aloud presents an opportunity to improve the writing so that it flows more smoothly. Check your grammar and spelling, and make sure the rhyme and rhythm you established is consistent throughout your poem.
Sharing your work with others may open you up to negative feedback and criticism. If it’s constructive, use it to improve your work and become a stronger poet. If it’s not constructive, just ignore it. Try not to take criticism personally.
