An ode is a type of lyric poem that praises and celebrates a person, place, thing, or idea. It is a formal poem that is often ceremonious and can be written in various stanza forms. Odes originated in ancient Greece, where they were originally accompanied by music and were performed publicly to celebrate athletic victories. There are three typical forms of odes: the Pindaric, Horatian, and irregular.

• Pindaric Ode: This follows the form and style of Pindar, a fifth-century BCE Greek poet. Pindaric odes are addressed to people, places, or events of a public nature.
• Horatian Ode: This follows the conventions of Horace, a Latin poet. Horatian odes are written in quatrains in a more philosophical, contemplative manner.
• Irregular Ode: This uses rhyme but not the three-part form of the Pindaric ode or the two- or four-line stanza of the Horatian ode.

Odes can be written in various forms, including sonnets, ghazals, villanelles, elegies, or free verse poems. The ode is a lyric poem that conveys exalted and inspired emotions, expressed in a language that is imaginative, dignified, and sincere. Odes can be written on various themes, and the English Romantic poets often used odes to express emotions using rich, descriptive language. Some examples of famous odes include "Ode to a Nightingale" and "Ode on a Grecian Urn" by John Keats and "Ode to the West Wind" by Percy Bysshe Shelley.