Ryanne Haymer
Dr. Cameron
LATN 314
11/3/2014
Comparison Ode 1.1 and 4.1
In Horace’s ode 1.1, he mainly discusses the typical occupations of Roman citizens, distinguishing poetry as the highest of professions. Even better than a normal poet is one who is endorsed by Maecenas, to whom the poem is dedicated. The content of the poem is reflective of where Horace was in his career. He is bolstering himself as a new poet, trying to gain Maecenas as his patron and using his education and learning to place poets above everyone else. Similarly, the content of Ode 4.1 matches Horace’s newfound maturity as a much older poet. He does not want to write about love or the follies of youth and he pleads with Venus to keeps things from his inspiration. Rather, he seems much more concerned with lifting up a relatively unknown politician. He, however, is still struggling with the urges of love. He seems to both want to remember his poet poetry and move on from it. Both of these poems use other names (i.e. Maecenas and Venus) in order to invoke a reaction in the reader. Horace is also asking for something from those listed in his poems- endorsement for Maecenas and to be left alone by Venus. Overall, both poems set up a tone for the rest of their respective books. It seems that the time in Horace’s career played a large part in the content of his work
Both poems are written in an Asclepiadean meter, though Ode 1.1 is first Asclepiadean while Ode 4.1 is written in second Asclepiadean. This
