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Glite Dictionary
epithalamium

epithalamium

9.9
A poem that celebrates a bride and groom at their wedding
  • noun
  • /ˌɛpɪθəˈleɪmiəm/
  • Archaic
translation icon : epitalamio
  • Jean describes his mother's hearing the epithalamium sung by fire, her longing to surrender to the kisses of the flames that marry her and take her to a higher "unknown love" (18).

It's titled Epithalamium in the Archive and Epithalamium one of the many different kinds of wedding songs sung in the ancient Greek world.

Examples

  • Tennyson ends In Memoriam (section 131) with a happy epithalamium (a fancy name for a marriage ode).

    Academic text (1992)

  • It's titled Epithalamium in the Archive and Epithalamium one of the many different kinds of wedding songs sung in the ancient Greek world.

    Harvard University

  • But the meaning and artistic intent are clear if a reader knows new-wave style as well as the meaning of epithalamium.

    Academic text (1990)

  • At the wedding reception, guests enjoyed a delightful epithalamium that celebrated the love between the couple.

  • The poet composed an elaborate epithalamium to honor the bride and groom on their special day.

  • During the ceremony, the best man read a beautiful epithalamium that captured the couple's joyous union.

Synonyms

prothalamion
vsepithalamium
  • Archaic
9.9

A song or poem celebrating a wedding

honors the bride and bridegroom specifically rather than a general marriage celebration
hymeneal
vsepithalamium
  • Archaic
9.9

A song or poem that celebrates a wedding

honors the couple personally rather than serving as a formal hymn
prothalamium
vsepithalamium
  • Archaic
9.9

A song or poem celebrating a marriage sung before the wedding

honors the bride and bridegroom rather than focusing on pre ceremony performance

Surface Forms

epithalamium singular
epithalamia plural

Etymology

Epithalamium comes from Greek parts epi- 'upon' and thalamos 'bridal chamber', a bit like the English word 'bedroom'. In ancient times people sang these poems outside the bridal chamber, so an epithalamium is a poem to celebrate the bride and groom.