epithalamium

9.9

A poem that celebrates a bride and groom at their wedding

noun
/ˌɛpɪθəˈleɪmiəm/

Archaic

: 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.