Antistrophe ( grc, ἀντιστροφή, "a turning back") is the portion of an
ode
An ode (from grc, ᾠδή, ōdḗ) is a type of lyric poetry. Odes are elaborately structured poems praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally. A classic ode is structured in three majo ...
sung by the chorus in its returning movement from west to east, in response to the
strophe
A strophe () is a poetic term originally referring to the first part of the ode in Ancient Greek tragedy, followed by the antistrophe and epode. The term has been extended to also mean a structural division of a poem containing stanzas of varyi ...
, which was sung from east to west.
Characteristics
Usage as a literary device
It has the nature of a reply and balances the effect of the
strophe
A strophe () is a poetic term originally referring to the first part of the ode in Ancient Greek tragedy, followed by the antistrophe and epode. The term has been extended to also mean a structural division of a poem containing stanzas of varyi ...
. Thus, in
Gray
Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed o ...
's ode called "The Progress of Poesy" (excerpt below), the strophe, which dwelt in triumphant accents on the beauty, power and ecstasy verse, is answered by the antistrophe, in a depressed and melancholy key:
When the sections of the chorus have ended their responses, they unite and close in the
epode
An epodeFrom el, ἐπῳδός, ''epodos'', "singing to/over, an enchanter." is the third part of an ode that follows the strophe and the antistrophe and completes the movement.
Evolution
At a certain point in time the choirs, which had previo ...
, thus exemplifying the triple form, in which the ancient sacred hymns of Greece were coined, from the days of
Stesichorus
Stesichorus (; grc-gre, Στησίχορος, ''Stēsichoros''; c. 630 – 555 BC) was a Greek lyric poet native of today's Calabria (Southern Italy). He is best known for telling epic stories in lyric metres, and for some ancient traditions abo ...
onwards. As
Milton says: "
strophe
A strophe () is a poetic term originally referring to the first part of the ode in Ancient Greek tragedy, followed by the antistrophe and epode. The term has been extended to also mean a structural division of a poem containing stanzas of varyi ...
, antistrophe and
epode
An epodeFrom el, ἐπῳδός, ''epodos'', "singing to/over, an enchanter." is the third part of an ode that follows the strophe and the antistrophe and completes the movement.
Evolution
At a certain point in time the choirs, which had previo ...
were a kind of
stanza framed for the music then used with the chorus that sang".
Other semantic usage
''Antistrophe'' was also a kind of ancient
dance, wherein dancers stepped sometimes to the right, and sometimes to the left, still doubling their turns or conversions. The motion toward the left, they called ''antistrophe'', from ''ὰντὶ'', "against", and ''στροφὴ'', of ''στρέφω'', "I turn".
References
Attribution:
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{{Greek dances
Ancient Greek dances
Poetic forms