Classical Lyric Poetry: Catullus, Horace, and Ovid

The Lyric

The concept of lyric poetry differs significantly between the classical world (Greek and Roman times) and the modern world, especially after the Romantic period. For the Greeks, *lyric* was a technical term that designated a type of poetry characterized by:

• Being written in a variety of verses and stanzas.
• Being sung with the musical accompaniment of the lyre or similar stringed instruments.

In Latin poetry, the element of singing and musical accompaniment was eliminated. Lyric poetry was then defined as poetry written in the same meters and stanzas as Greek lyric poetry. Therefore, in Latin, only certain poems and odes of Catullus and Horace, along with the *Carmen Saeculare*, can be considered truly lyrical.

Catullus

Catullus was born in Verona into a highly influential family. His collection of 116 poems, the *Carmina*, can be divided into two blocks:

1. Short poems expressing his feelings, especially his passion for love. These are characterized as *poesis* of occasion, written in a refined yet light and *sympaic* style, full of colloquialisms and slang words.
2. Long mythological poems in which he imitates the Hellenistic poets, particularly Callimachus.

Horace

Horace, born in Venusia, was the son of a freedman. In Rome, he held a modest administrative position, which allowed him to enter the circle of Maecenas. Through the patronage and influence of Virgil, he was able to live a life devoted entirely to writing.

Works

His *Odes* are considered the masterpiece of Latin lyric poetry. They comprise four books with a total of 104 odes. With his *Odes*, Horace aspired to be included in the canon of lyric poets. The major themes are love, friendship, hymns, etc. The *Carmen Saeculare* also fits within the work of Horace.

Horace is considered the most complete and classic of the Roman lyric poets.

Ovid

It is difficult to categorize the works of Ovid, as they often blend literary genres (e.g., *Metamorphoses*). Considering the time and themes in which they were written, his works can be divided into two groups:

1. When he still enjoyed the favor of Augustus in Rome, he wrote *Amores*, *Heroides*, and *Ars Amatoria* (*Art of Love*).
2. Two collections of elegies written from his exile in Pontus, with a completely different tone: *Tristia* and *Epistulae ex Ponto*, which are wailing pleas for forgiveness to the emperor.