Discussing The Odes Of Horace, Pindar And Shelley

1980 Words8 Pages
202701 ‘Poets aim either to do good or to give pleasure—or thirdly, to say things which are both pleasing and serviceable for life’ (Horace) Aesthetics and didacticism are concepts at odds, yet both are cited throughout the history of literary criticism as the fundamental aims of any poet. As the ode form has developed through the centuries, it has been applied to an immense range of subjects, audiences and contrasting objectives. The values of pleasure, entertainment and moral education, however, have their presence felt in the majority of the great lyrical works, sometimes in conflict with each other but often composed in harmony by the author to create works that are both sensually stimulating and enlightening. The Horatian ideal of verse which combines artistic appeal with moral education can be seen in Horace's own odes. 'Ode 1.9' seems initially to be a purely sensory work; the presence of nature at its most sublime in the 'mountain', 'woods' and 'icy fetters'1 of the first stanza strike the reader immediately as images of terrifying amplitude and beauty. The elevated atmosphere created by this strong natural imagery becomes more affecting as the ode progresses; increasing emphasis is put upon the human emotions which exist within the sublime world established in the initial lines; nouns such as 'love', 'disdain'2 and 'sorrow'3 are employed, all evoking extreme forms of human emotional states and adding to the empathetic affect on the reader. In this respect, we can see how Roman poets such as Horace have deviated from the declamatory and politically charged poetry of Ancient Greece, placing more importance on aesthetic quality and elegant language than what was typical of Greek odes. Pindar's 'Olympian 1' details and commemorates the victory of Hieron at the Olympic games. As is typical of the Pindarian ode, the text has strong tones of valiance and

More about Discussing The Odes Of Horace, Pindar And Shelley

Open Document