Definition

1. Noun:
   • A poetic and dramatic structural element: In classical Greek drama, specifically in choral odes, the "antistrophe" is the section that follows and responds metrically to the strophe. The chorus typically moved in the opposite direction while singing it.
   • A metrically corresponding part: In poetry, it is the second of two stanzas or sections that have an identical metrical structure.

Usage

• The term is used primarily in the context of analyzing classical Greek literature (e.g., tragedies by Sophocles or Aeschylus) and structured poetic forms.
• It describes a specific, formal part of a choral ode or poem.

Examples

• Noun:
  • In Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex," the chorus sings a strophe and then an antistrophe.
  • The poem's structure was carefully designed, with the antistrophe mirroring the meter of the opening strophe.

Advanced Usage

• "Strophe and antistrophe": This is the standard paired structure in a Pindaric ode or a Greek tragic chorus. The antistrophe provides a thematic response or counter-movement to the strophe.
  • The choral ode's meaning unfolds through the dialogue between its strophe and antistrophe.

Variants and Related Words

• Strophe (n): The first section of the ode, to which the antistrophe responds.
• Epode (n): A third section in some odes, following the strophe and antistrophe, often with a different meter.

Synonyms

• Counter-turn: A less common synonym emphasizing the responsive, returning movement.
• Response stanza: A descriptive synonym highlighting its function.

Notes on Different Meanings

• The word is highly specialized and is almost exclusively used in literary analysis of classical forms. It does not have common modern or figurative meanings outside this academic context.

Noun

1. the section of a choral ode answering a previous strophe in classical Greek drama; the second of two metrically corresponding sections in a poem