The first poem in a collection of poetry is commonly termed the "agenda poem." Here Ovid introduces himself as poet, his meter, his subject, and his tone. He protests that he is embarking --reluctantly and unintentionally-- on a less Roman path to which, nevertheless, he has been destined by a powerful, irresistible divinity.
You may wish to view another on-line commentary to the Latin text of this poem at Selections from Ovid's Amores. This commentary will open in a new window which you should close when finished viewing it.
You may wish additionally to consult an excellent recent edition of this poem, with notes and commentary, by Richard A. La Fleur: Love and Transformation: An Ovid Reader (Glenview, Ill, and New York: Scott-Foresman-Addison Wesley, 1999), or John Barsby's edition, with translation and commentary, Ovid, Amores I (Great Britain: Oxford University Press, 1973; Bristol Classical reprint, 1998).
Arma: The poem's first word evokes the
opening of Virgil's great epic, the Aeneid: arma virumque cano ("arms
and the man I sing"). This unexpected opening must have startled the
Roman audience, which had gathered to hear love poetry.
Materia...Modis: Ovid refers to the fact that traditionally subject matter determined the meter of Roman poetry. Thus, Epic poetry, which treated weighty themes of history, war, myth, and heroes, was expected to be written in dactylic hexameter. Thus, the rhy thm alone of the second line, dactylic pentameter, reassured his audience that Ovid was indeed writing love elegy.
To experience how the second line, the pentameter, destabilizes the stately hexameter, read the Latin aloud of the first 6 lines of the poem as they are scanned below. Recite the Latin by accenting the first syllable of each foot, and by holding the short syllable for a shorter time than the long syllable. Pause for a breath in mid-line, at the caesura.
For a more detailed explanation of Latin elegiac meter, go to the resources.
Par Erat Inferior: Ovid argues that, in his case, the meter determined his theme. He teases his listeners with a phrase that at first seems impossible: "equal was inferior." His next word (versus ) suggests an alternate meaning for inferior --"second." Now the translation makes sense. Can you capture the Latin word play in your translation?
Surripuisse: Even to Roman ears "stealing a foot" sounded funny. He proposes the absurd thesis that, had Cupid not diminished his second line of hexameter verse, he might have gone on writing hexameters throughout and thereby composed a Vergilian-type epic. In this way Ovid draws our attention to his poetic style, which features sense-contained lines, a primarily dactylic meter, and internal rhyme-- particularly in the pentameter, where the syllable before the caesura (the mid-line break) frequently rhymes with the last syllable.
Quis: Without warning, the poet
moves from narrative to direct address. He uses rapid rhetorical questions
to convey his sense of injury. The next 16 lines are a series of
complaints, mythological examples, and direct questions to a puer,
saeve and ambitiose. Since Cupid's sly involvement (risisse
... surripuisse) has already been mentioned, we have no difficulty in
identifying him here.
Vates: Strictly the word meant "seer" or "prophet"; perhaps because seers often gave their prophecies in meter and poets were thought to be inspired by the gods, it also came to signify "poet" or rather "bard." The word lost favor to poeta and was revived by Vergil. Here the poet puts on airs--he belongs to Vergil's lofty circle not Cupid's crowd.
Sumus: The direct address introduces us to the poet's persona-- the "I" of the poem, the "love-struck poet" of elegiac tradition. Contemporary write rs frequently construct a f irst-person narrator from whom the omniscient author is distinct; separating their voices adds greatly to the enjoyment of the sophisticated reader. Try not to identify the poet-speaker with Ovid, who often stands back and observes his creation with amused detachment. You will be free, then, to enjoy the ironic Ovid speaking through his mask --the literal translation of the Latin persona.
Quid: The poet imagines "How about?" or "What would you think?" Having challenged Cupid's transgression, he invites him to contemplate the possibility of Venus and Minerva, Ceres and Diana, and Apollo and Mars exchanging attributes: Minerva's weapons for Venus' wedding torches; Ceres' tilled fields for Diana's forested hills; Apollo's lyre for Mars' sharp spear! His questions are so fram ed as to point up the obvious absurdity of the exchanges and their violation of the right order of the world.
Flavae Venus Arma Minervae: Note how the word order places Venus alone in the midst of words that belong to Minerva, juxtaposing the Goddess of Love and weapons of war. The poem contains many examples of artful word order that suggests meaning, the discovery of which delights the observant reader. Look for other examples.
Accensas Flava Minerva Faces: This
is a good instance of chiasmus, a pattern of embracing word order.
Note how the adjective-noun phrase in the nominative case is centered or
framed by the adjective and noun in the accusative case. Line up the last
two words under the first two and you will note that their agreement forms
an X (the Greek word chiasmus), which explains the name given to
this word order. Can you ident ify other instances of chiasmus?
Quod Ubique: Expand the phrase and translate it as though Ovid had written id quod ubique est tuum est. These two lines contain a series of rapid rhetorical questions. Although the questions are directly addressed to Cupid, they expect no answer and are heavily ironic.
Cum Bene Surrexit: Concluding his
argument by example, the poet returns to Cupid's interference in his work:
his verses fall naturally into elegiac couplets. Ovid's choice of verbs
here suggest a sexual metaphor that will be revisited in lines 27-28.
Puer Aut Puella: The poet notes that these are the subjects ap propriate for elegy and that he has neither for lovers.
Protinus: Cupid's reaction is swift
and powerful: he shoots the poet with a love arrow. His answer to the long
complaint is brief: in six short words-- almost all of them two syllables
long-- he commands the pompous vates to sing what he has been
given--the epic "bard" is now a love poet.
Uror Et In Vacuo Pectore Regnat Amor is one of Ovid's many memorable lines. It opens and closes with a two-syllable word that rhymes. It is a powerful expression of an emotion that the poet seems able to speak about elegantly but doesn't seem to really experience.
Sex: Given the previous line, the suggestiveness of the verbs (s urgat and residat) he re and in lines 17-18 (surrexit and attenuat), and the suggestiveness of the meter (DO scan it and read the line aloud!), the reader must be excused for thinking SEXUS rather than the Latin word for the number six.
Bella Valete Modis: Ovid bids a firm farewell to the subject of war, along with its meter; it is most fitting that he places the farewell in the second line of the couplet, the deciding pentameter.
Cingere:This passive form is best translated as a reflexive. The poet commands his muse to wear not Apollo's crown of laurel but the myrtle, a plant associated with Venus and therefore more appropriate to love songs.
Musa:In closing, the poet acknowledges his muse-- Erato, the inspiration of the lyric poet-- by her distinctive measure-- the eleven feet of the elegiac couplet.