Date of Award
2011
Degree Name
Latin
College
College of Liberal Arts
Type of Degree
M.A.
Document Type
Thesis
First Advisor
Caroline A. Perkins
Second Advisor
Christina E. Franzen
Third Advisor
E. Del Chrol
Abstract
As the first poem within Horace's original publication of Odes, Odes 1.1 embodies aspects of theme and style representative of the poet's approach to the genre of lyric poetry. The Odes of Horace allow various interpretations by the reader based on construction, vocabulary and imagery. This thesis explores Odes 1.1 in its entirety through such approaches and focuses on the text and subtext incorporated by the poet. The first chapter sets the foundation needed in order to begin a study of Horace's lyric poetry, detailing the genre as a whole, the life of the poet, as well as the contradiction addressed in this paper. Chapter Two carefully examines the priamel through an in depth exploration of both philology and imagery. Next, Chapter Three examines the final seven lines of Odes 1.1, and closely studies Horace's request of Maecenas. The final chapter explores Horace's intentions as an author and the underlying meaning within not only Odes 1.1, but the entirety of Book 1 and the Odes in general. Through this detailed investigation of Odes 1.1, one can see the way Horace's work as a Latin lyric poet works towards the establishment of Latin lyric poetry, and the way in which the poet creates a strong foundation for such a genre.
Subject
Horace. Carmina. Liber I
Subject
Horace - Criticism and interpretation
Recommended Citation
Cook, Virginia C., "A Poet's Request : Text and Subtext in Horace's Odes 1.1" (2011). Theses, Dissertations and Capstones. 33.
https://mds.marshall.edu/etd/33
