The term Ode is used of English poetry with considerable vagueness. The
Century Dictionary defines the word thus: "A lyric poem expressive of
exalted or enthusiastic emotion, especially one of complex or irregular
metrical form; originally and strictly, such a composition intended to
be sung." Compare with this the definition of Mr. Gosse, in his
collection of _English Odes_: "Any strain of enthusiastic and exalted
lyrical verse, directed to a fixed purpose, and dealing progressively
with one dignified theme."
Viewed from the purely metrical standpoint, English odes are commonly
either (_a_) regular Pindaric odes, imitative of the structure of the
Greek ode, or (_b_) irregular, so-called "Pindaric" or "Cowleyan" odes.
A third group may be made of forms based on the imitation of the choral
odes of the Greek drama. There is also a class of odes called
"Horatian," made up of simple lyrical stanzas; the name "ode" is applied
here only because of the content of the poem or because of resemblance
to the so-called odes (properly _carmina_ or songs) of Horace, and since
these Horatian odes show no metrical peculiarities they will not be
represented here.[39]
The characteristic effect of the ode is produced by the varying lengths
of lines employed, and the varying distances at which the rimes answer
one another. This variety, in the hands of a master of verse, is capable
of splendid effectiveness, but it gives dangerous license to the
unskilled writer.