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Ovid and the theme of love in the metamorphoses
Ovid and the theme of love in the metamorphoses
Ovid and the theme of love in the metamorphoses
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Each of Ovid’s Amores presents a slightly different view of love. Many of his poems have links between them, for example 3.4 and 2.19 (which both involve a custos and puella), but they also differ hugely (3.4 and 2.19 present almost opposing arguments). This leads to the conclusion that perhaps Ovid is highlighting how love changes according to the situation.
In 3.2, we see Ovid using his rhetorical skill to woo a lady at the races. This poem seems to present almost an idealistic or fantasy view of love, which is highlighted by the abundance of mythological and religious references: in this poem alone we see Pelops, the legs of Atalanta and Diana and the parade of the effigies of Gods. Ovid uses various devices to encapsulate his little world of love in the circus. He marks out his area by talking about the lines which marked out the seats (“cogit nos linea iungi”) which push the two characters together into their own little world. When, in lines 21 to24, their little world is broken into by various other spectators, Ovid turns on them and scolds them, which is emphasised by the har...
Clearly, there is a distinction between the world of the Roman gods and the world that everyday people live in. Man, according to Ovid, has experienced a gold, sil...
Old age is seen through out the poem, and is represented in many different ways. The first time old age is addressed is when Athena comes into the house of Odysseus to see the environment the suitors have created. Th...
Both speakers now have a shadow casted upon their outlook on relationships as a whole, due to their bad experience. Both speakers associate betrayal with the word ‘love’ and no longer view it genuinely. For example, in Rupert Brooke’s 'Jealousy', the narrator says: ‘[a]s prettiness turns to pomp and strength to fat, / And love, love, love to habit’ (Brooke, 19-20). The repetition of the word ‘love’ is abruptly stopped with ‘habit’, obstructing its true meaning. The speaker declares that their love will just turn into a forced routine, with no meaning or motivation behind it as soon as physical attraction fades, showing his attachment to superficial qualities. Real love would not depend on tangible attributes such as looks or money, yet the speaker’s idea of love does. Further demonstrating the speakers’ altered perception of love, in William Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello says: ‘[t]hough that her jesses were my dear heart-strings / I’ld whistle her off and let her down the wind/ To prey at fortune’(III.iii.256-258). In contrast to the speaker of ‘Jealousy’’s attitude, Othello still feels a sense of emotional attachment to Desdemona, whereas the speaker of the poem is attached to physical qualities. However, despite his love for Desdemona, Othello goes on to metaphorically liken her to a bird that will be let loose to ‘prey at fortune’, when disobedient. This distortion of the idea of love triggered by his jealousy makes Othello completely disregard his genuine connection with Desdemona. He is entirely willing to let her go due to this strong feeling of betrayal. Othello sees love through more of a passive lens. Also, both speakers consider lust to be an accomplice of ‘love’. ‘[W]ho were so wise and cool, / Gazing with silly sickness on that fool’ (Brooke, 1-2), the speaker describes his former significant other as being lustful, awestruck by the other man’s physical appearance. Othello says: ‘O curse of marriage, / That we can call
Throughout the story The Odyssey there are many themes that represent major parts of the story. The main theme that stood out to me is love which includes loyalty. “Love is a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person; a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend; or a sexual passion or desire” (dictionary.com). “Loyalty is defined in the Webster's dictionary as faithfulness or devotion to a person, a cause or a duty” (Webster’s dictionary). Through these definitions, it can be expressed that loyalty and love are major themes in Homer's epic, "The Odyssey". Love and loyalty shows relationships that are between two people. The few relationships that represents love and loyalty is between husband and wife Odysseus and Penelope and also between father and son Odysseus and Telemachus. These relationships shows more than just love and loyalty though, their relationships also shows compassion, sympathy and the need to be in each one another’s lives.
The poets integrated ?metaphysical conceits? as focal parts of these poems. Along with these, they used effective language as a basis for their convincing arguments, they included subjects of periodical importance (e.g. ?courtship? and ?religion?), and use very clever structures that are manipulated in order to make the poem read in the desired way. The very clear indication of the theme in question was strongly aided by the way in which the personas portrayed the emotions they felt and the way they showed their attitudes towards the subject. Considering all these factors, the poets made critical arguments to the mistresses in order to alter their views, thus changing their minds, on denying the poets the sex that they desired so strongly.
The Range of Feelings Associated with Love in Catullus and Lesbia' Poems Of Catullus’s poems, the Lesbia poems are the most memorable, particularly as they contain such a wide range of feelings and emotions. Whilst we do not know what order the poems were written in, it is tempting to arrange them in a progression from constant love, to confusion and despair and finally hatred. Poem 87 appears to be at the beginning of the relationship between Catullus and Lesbia. The symmetry of the couplets beginning “nulla” and ending with “mea est” emphasizes the idea that no one loves Lesbia as much as Catullus. The placement of “nulla” at the beginning of the
Mary Wroth alludes to mythology in her sonnet “In This Strange Labyrinth” to describe a woman’s confused struggle with love. The speaker of the poem is a woman stuck in a labyrinth, alluding to the original myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. The suggestion that love is not perfect and in fact painful was a revolutionary thing for a woman to write about in the Renaissance. Wroth uses the poem’s title and its relation to the myth, symbolism and poem structure to communicate her message about the tortures of love.
Love is a powerful emotion, capable of turning reasonable people into fools. Out of love, ridiculous emotions arise, like jealousy and desperation. Love can shield us from the truth, narrowing a perspective to solely what the lover wants to see. Though beautiful and inspiring when requited, a love unreturned can be devastating and maddening. In his play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare comically explores the flaws and suffering of lovers. Four young Athenians: Demetrius, Lysander, Hermia, and Helena, are confronted by love’s challenge, one that becomes increasingly difficult with the interference of the fairy world. Through specific word choice and word order, a struggle between lovers is revealed throughout the play. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare uses descriptive diction to emphasize the impact love has on reality and one’s own rationality, and how society’s desperate pursuit to find love can turn even strong individuals into fools.
In Ovid's Metamorphoses, the concept of love seems to vary from character to character. In one case, a god in the form of a man desperately seeks a particular woman and refuses to relent until he has her. In another instance, a female goddess cares deeply for a man and goes to great lengths to protect him from danger. In yet another case, both who are arranged to be married seem indifferent about the matter.
Love and beauty is another theme that recurs in Greek discussion, especially in Plato’s dialogues. In the Phaedrus and especially the Symposium, Plato discusses the nature of erotic love and give the argument for the ultimately transcendental object of love: Beauty. In both dialogues, Plato presents Socrates as a quintessential philosopher who is a lover of wisdom, and through his great speeches we are able to grasp Platonism and Plato’s view on the interesting theme.
There are consistent parallels created through descriptions of Ovid’s political status. Due to his ostracism, he is separated both from outside elements of society and ideals that exist in his own mind. In the opening paragraphs, Ovid describes his natural surroundings and the characteristics of the landscape, and ends with the statement:
In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the main conflict is between love and social relations. The play revolves around the magical power of love which transforms many lives. As a result of this, it gets the reader’s emotionally involved through ways of reminding us of love’s foolishness and capabilities, as well as violence often followed alongside of lust. This play shows passion’s conflict with reason. For example, the father presented in the play Egeus, represents tradition and reason while Hermia represents passion for love and freedom. Egeus wants Hermia to marry Demetrius and accuses Lysander of “bewitching” Hermia with love charms and songs. This is one way love’s difficulties are presented in the play between father and daughter. Additionally, Helena recognizes love’s difficulties when Demetrius falls in love with her best friend Hermia. Helena argues that strong emotions such as love can make extremely unpleasant things beautiful. This is another way the play presents love’s difficulties between lovers and capricious emotions.
The painting by Hubert Robert symbolizes a sense of grandeur as one looks at the pyramids that is drawn so huge in proportion that it vanishes midway. This could be the painter's way of expressing how powerful the entities were, representing grandeur in contrast to the little figures that were going towards it. Like the great king and his slaves.
The topic of affection has been an intermittent one ever of. Love is a fascinating subject in writing since adoration, dissimilar to different topics, has numerous turns and turns and a wide range of endings. Love has been available in early works of writing, for example, Greek and Roman folklore, and has proceeded through Victorian and contemporary circumstances.
The Theme of Love in the Poems First Love, To His Coy Mistress, Porphyria's Lover, My Last Duchess and Shall I Compare Thee?