Ovid's Love Poetry

This course offers an engaging introduction to Ovid’s Amores, focusing on elegies 1.1, 1.4, 1.9, and 1.15. Through close reading and analysis, students explore the playful yet sophisticated voice of Ovid, a master of Latin love elegy. We begin with Amores 1.1, where Ovid humorously recounts how Cupid hijacks his ambitions for epic poetry, setting the tone for his poetic persona as a reluctant yet enthralled lover. In 1.4, we delve into themes of desire and deception as Ovid flirts with his beloved at a dinner party, navigating the fine line between boldness and discretion. Elegy 1.9 casts love as a kind of warfare, equating lovers with soldiers in discipline and passion, while 1.15 presents Ovid’s manifesto for poetic immortality, elevating the role of the poet above the soldier or statesman.

Each elegy is examined in translation with moments looking at the Latin. We will pay attention to literary devices, historical context, and the conventions of Roman elegy. The course emphasizes Ovid’s wit, self-awareness, and innovation within the genre. Ideal for students of Latin literature and Roman culture, this course invites learners to appreciate Ovid's enduring influence and the artful tension between love and poetry.