palinode \PAL-un-nohd\,
noun:
1. a poem in which the poet retracts something said in an earlier poem.
2. a recantation.
He writes albas for both sexes, and in the Sonnets repents of his love poetry, writing his palinode, in true medieval fashion.
-- C. S. Lewis, "Donne and Love Poetry," Selected Literary Essays, 1969
"I shall trim their jackets for them, Mrs. Dods, if you can but bring tight evidence of the facts — I will soon bring them to fine and palinode — I will make them repent meddling with your good name."
-- Sir Walter Scott, "St. Ronan's Well," 1823
Palinode entered English in the 1600s, and comes from the Greek palinoidia meaning "poetic retraction." It shares the root palin with the word palindrome.
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