Name: Staci McGill
Date: 12/12/2008 08:12:06 AM ET
Horace utilizes imagery throughout Ode 1.5 not only in the language he uses, but
also in the construction of the poem. The first and third stanzas are calm as an area
would be just before a storm hits. During this time everything is pleasant and
almost too quiet before the wind and rain hit. In contrast with stanzas two and
four, where there is a full fledged storm in progress. Also the language used
suggests calm verse the jumbled environment. This is seen especially in stanza
two line seven which discusses the rough black sea. Also most people don’t speak
to the gods unless they are in peril which is seen in line 6. The third stanza
is the epitome of calm as many are as Horace talks about being care free
("qui semper vacuam" Line 10). Over all Horace creates vivid imagery using language
as well as the construction of the poem.
Name: Morgan Ashley Davenport
Date: 01/06/2009 08:18:59 AM ET
Horace uses alternating soothing and violent images in differing stanzas. In the
first and third stanza, he uses words like "rosa" (line 1), "flavem comam" (line 4),
and "aurea" (line 9); here is where Horace places fire into the poem. However,
in the second and fourth stanzas, he makes his point that love can be a fickle
thing, turning as quick as the sea and engulfing lovers in it. With his jumbled
sentence structure, he creates confusion, paralleling the confusion of a storm at
sea, and creates images to match. For example, he uses "nigris" (line 7) and the
image of the "potenti maris deo" (lines 15-16) and the idea of a sacrifice given
to stay alive in a trying time. Both the language and the physical placement of
words serve to conjure up vivid imagery for anyone reading Horace's poem.
Name: Alexandra Strauss
Date: 03/23/2009 08:34:32 AM ET
Horace structures his poem around the contrary elements of water and fire, violent
and enticing. The first and third paragraphs seem to represent the fire with smoother
constructions and bright, warm imagery. Pyrra's yellow hair (flavam comam) and
basking in her golden smile (aurea). These paragraphs incorporate a very light and
warm mood, while he seems to be comparing her to the brightest fire of all: the sun.
However, even in these paragraphs have implications of water: the sprinkled perfume
(liquidis perfusus) and the grotto/cave (antro), which seems dark and reminds me of
an underwater cave like Ariel's grotto. Although the first and third paragraphs are
dominated with warm fire-like imagery and smooth wording to create a care-free
atmosphere, slight references to water do occur, even though the other paragraphs
utilize this contrary imagery. The second and fourth paragraphs seem much rougher
in construction with dark, turbelent, and wet imagery that invoke ideas of water
and destruction. The rough black sea (asper a nigris aequora ventis emirabitur) and
the soaked garments (uvida vestimenta) and the power of the sea (potentio de maris),
which create a very different feel to the tone of the other paragraphs. Interestingly,
Horace choses to alternate the themes instead of showing progression, which creates a
much more turbulent feeling overall to the poem. Thus, it seems as though the
attention given to both moods is not equal as one would first feel, but skewed
toward the turbulent water.
Name: Daniel Rasch
Date: 03/31/2009 09:40:00 PM ET
Archetectonic imagery abounds here. The boy and the girl (the "you") are
juxtaposed, literally sitting next to each other (puer te), neatly (and again,
literally) enclosed by a bed of roses (multa...in rosa). Pyrrha's hair is literally
bound up, wrapping around the verb "religas" (flavam religas comam). The synchesis
in lines 6-7, as pointed out by some of my fellow students here, confuses word
order and makes the second stanza appear more turbulent and complex (aspera/nigris
aequora ventis).
The final stanza also emphasizes themes of confusion and storminess with its
unusual word order (me tabula sacer/votiva paries indicat urida/suspendisse
potenti/vestimenta maris deo).
Contrasting imagery is important in this poem. Stanza one is perforated
(perfusus) with perfume and golden hair (liquidis odoribus & flavam comam),
while stanza two brings hopeless waters and black winds (aspera aequora &
nigris ventis): a storm is brewing. Stanza three again sees delight and hope
(fruitur...sperat), but beware; a false wind blows... (aurae fallacis).
Finally, in stanza four, just as we're about to see the shining light again
(nites), we are plunged into damp clothing and sea gods (uvida vestimenta &
potenti deo maris): the storm hits.
This stuff is brilliant, I think. Really great imagery.
Name: Kendall Brooke Layton
Date: 06/09/2009 02:22:04 PM ET
Horace's use of imagery abounds in his Ode 1.5. He contrasts the
destructive yet enticing elements of fire and water, along with love and
heartache and sun and darkness. In the first stanza, he talks about the
beautiful, yellow-haired Pyrrha sprinkled with perfume and taking cover
with a boy (possibly a lover) amid many roses (quis multa gracilis te puer
in rosa perfusus liquidis urget odoribus grato, Pyrrha, sub antro, cui flavam
religas comam; 1-4; what slender youth, sprinkled with perfume, courts you
under the cover of a cave amidst many roses, fair Pyrrha, say for whom your
yellow hair you braid), which gives us a happy, calm, assumedly safe environment.
He continues with the same imagery in the third stanza where he talks about her
golden smile and the calm, dark wind as just before a storm (qui nunc te
fruitur dredulus aurea, nescius aurae fallacis miseri quibus; 9...11-12; who now
is basking in your golden smile...poor fool, unaware of the guile of the
deceitful wind). Then in the second and fourth stanzas his imagery changes to
dangerous and terrifying sea-scenes, like when he writes about the stormy
Black Sea (nigris aequora ventis; 7; seeing the rough Black Sea) and pulling
himself from the dangerous water (me tabula sacer, votive paries indicat
uvida suspendisse potenti vestimenta maris deo; 13-16; I am thankful to
have escaped…my dripping garments, vowed to the powerful god of the sea).
To me, Horace's vast imagery somewhat resembles that of a love-hate
relationship between a couple today, one minute in blissful happiness,
like the warn sunshine and the sweet smell of the roses, and the next
fierce and hateful like the whipping of the winds and the catastrophe of
the shipwreck.
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