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Glite Dictionary
antistrophe

antistrophe

9.9
A part of a poem or a song sung by the chorus that answers the previous part
  • noun
  • /ˌæntɪˈstrəfi/
  • Literature
translation icon : antístrofa
  • We can call this rhetoric, in Aristotle's terms, an antistrophic rhetoric, drawing from Aristotle's first line of his Art of Rhetoric: "Rhetoric is the antistrophe or counterpart of dialectic."

Examples

  • In the ancient Greek drama, the chorus recited the antistrophe as a response to the earlier strophe, creating a rhythm in the performance.

  • During the choral performance, the antistrophe emphasized the themes introduced earlier, captivating the audience with its rhythmic reply.

  • The poem features a powerful antistrophe that beautifully mirrors the emotions expressed in the preceding strophe.

Surface Forms

antistrophe singular
antistrophes plural

Morphology

antistrophe = strophe (opaque) = anti + strophe

The word is structurally built from anti- + strophe, but the specialized classical-drama sense is not readily recoverable for most learners from those parts alone.

Etymology

Antistrophe comes from the parts anti- 'opposite' and strophe 'turn'. In ancient Greek plays the chorus moved the opposite way for the antistrophe, so it is the 'answering' or mirror section that balances the first strophe.