The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms - Ross Murfin 2018

Apollonian

Apollonian: An adjective derived from Apollo (the Greek god of music and light and the symbol of reason and culture) describing writing that exhibits a serene and orderly quality. In The Birth of Tragedy (1872), German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche used Apollonian in conjunction with the term Dionysian (signifying impulsiveness and irrationality) to refer to the balance struck by the two sides of Greek tragedy. Classical and neoclassical writing are often Apollonian, whereas romantic writing tends to draw on the more passionate Dionysian tradition.