antistrophe
|an-tis-tro-phe|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.tɪˈstroʊ.fi/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.tɪˈstrɒ.fi/
counter-turn / responsive turn
Etymology
'antistrophe' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'antistrophē', where 'anti-' meant 'against' and 'strophē' meant 'a turning'.
'antistrophe' passed into English via Latin/Medieval Latin forms (such as 'antistropha') and through usage in learned and poetic contexts in Middle English before becoming the modern English 'antistrophe'.
Initially, it meant 'a turning back' or 'counter-turning'; over time it came to denote the corresponding section of a choral ode and, by extension, certain forms of poetic or rhetorical repetition.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
in ancient Greek drama and choral poetry, the section of the chorus' ode that follows the strophe, sung while the chorus moves in the opposite direction; a responsive turn or counter-movement to the strophe.
The chorus delivered the strophe with strong, upward movement and then answered with a solemn antistrophe as they moved back across the stage.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a rhetorical or poetic device involving a corresponding or opposing passage; sometimes used for the repetition of a word or phrase in reverse order or at the end of successive clauses (related to epistrophe/antimetabole).
The poet used an antistrophe to mirror the opening lines, creating a sense of return and closure.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/10 22:44