During his two year tenure, your new Hampshire Poet - Damian Kelly-Basher - will be writing a series of blog posts for us sharing what he has been up to, telling us his poetic plans for the future, and inviting you to get involved in poetry in Hampshire. Read on to find out what's happening in Damian's world!
In this blog, Damian discusses the ode.
The Ode is a form of praise-poem used in Ancient Greece and Rome for public celebration or personal tribute. Stephen Fry’s The Ode Less Travelled, lists four types; Sapphic, Pindaric, Horatian and Lyric.
Sappho was a poetry megastar in Ancient Greece and Rome. The syllabic poetry form (featured in Hampshire Poet Oct 2024 blog) is named after her.
She wrote 10,000 lines of poetry (only 650 survive) with love poems to women and men. Sappho also reminds us that, for a thousand years, women were celebrated as legendary writers, and that same-sex relationships were the norm, not an exception. Learn more about Sapphic Stanza here.
Pindar used a three-verse form. Each verse had to have the same structure (rhythm/lines).
Horace’s odes didn’t have a tight structure but often started by addressing the subject.
19th Cent. Romantic Poets varied lines, rhythms and rhyme in a looser Lyric form.
The Ode connects us to a long-lasting, resilient, global tradition of writing and performing.
Today, odes are important because they are small act of empathy and gratitude. They invite us to look outside of ourselves and to celebrate life and the world; whether it’s a tomato, a gentle bricklayer or a woman gardening (Pablo Neruda); a tampon, a mountain, or “girls’ things”. (Sharon Olds); Autumn, a Skylark or a Grecian Urn (John Keats).
Writing Exercises:
Write a 3-verse poem that celebrates something or someone.
Join the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch (January 24th- 26th). Like Keats, write a praise poem about what you see.
Have fun writing. Writing is about having fun with words.
Damian Kelly-Basher is Hampshire Poet Laureate 2024-26. The appointment of the Hampshire Poet takes place every two years and is jointly led by Winchester Poetry Festival and Hampshire Cultural Trust. The position of Hampshire Poet provides the opportunity for a Hampshire-based poet to undertake commissions, lead workshops and give readings and talks throughout the county, as well as acting as an advocate for poetry and poets.
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