What is the lyric poem devoted to the praise of a person, animal, or thing called?

An ode is a type of lyrical stanza. It is an elaborately structured poem praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally.

Greek odes were originally poetic pieces performed with musical accompaniment. As time passed on, they gradually became known as personal lyrical compositions whether sung (with or without musical instruments) or merely recited (always with accompaniment). The primary instruments used were the aulos and the lyre.

The lyrics can be on various themes. The earliest odes in the English language, using the word in its strict form, were the "Epithalamium" and "Prothalamium" of Edmund Spenser.

In the 17th century, the most important original odes in English were by Abraham Cowley.