The concept of ars, or skill, is a central theme in these two stories by Ovid. In fact, in these tales the men who possess ars do so on an almost superhuman level. Daedalus is able to produce functioning wings, and Pygmalion's sculpture of a woman has a hyperrealistic quality. Yet the outcome of these two stories is starkly different--Daedalus must suffer the loss of his only son, but Pygmalion is rewarded with the breath of life for his statue. Essentially, Daedalus insulted the Gods with his skill while Pygmalion pleased them. .
In "Daedalus and Icarus," Ovid begins a story about a man whom he had alluded to in earlier sections of The Metamorphoses as "ingenio fabrae celeberrimus artis." So already the reader is aware that Daedalus" ars has brought him much great acclaim and renown--perhaps signifying an even greater downfall. Armed with such hubris, Daedalus sets out to change the natural order of things with his new invention: ".et ignotas animum dimittit in artes naturam novat." Such a goal would obviously insult the Gods, who were supposed to be sole arbitrators of natural order, cluing the audience into the fact that Daedalus will assuredly mess up. When Icarus comes along, he fondles the wings, "ignarus sua se tractare pericla." It is clear that Icarus will bear at least part of the punishment for Daedalus" inability to harness his ars. The "damnosas artes" of flying thus led to Icarus" fatal "cupidine caeli," which in turn led to his tragic descent into the waters below. In this case, ars was purposefully used to defy divine will, so its effect was the harsh reprimanding of Daedalus.
In "Pygmalion," the "heros" does not possess such an awesome ars as the ability to fly. And while Pygmalion's ability to create a seemingly life-like statue is impressive, he does not have the power to alter the divine will of the Gods by being able to imbue it with life. Rather, Pygmalion is a humble man who denounces the immoral women of his town just as Venus had done: "Quas quia Pygmalion.
Ovid Banished for Good? ... But back in the times of Ovid, such privileges were not permitted. ... When Augustus read Ovid's poem, he was highly offended. He was so upset that he ordered Ovid and his poems to be banished from Rome. ... Meaning that Augustus" decision to ban Ovid was acceptable in my point of view....
How to Read Poem: Ars Poetica A poem is whatever you, as a writer, persuade a particular reader to experience as a poem. In this poem Ars Poetica, the poet tries to explain how a poem should be by telling us how a poem cannot be. ... First off, the title of the poem, Ars Poetica is Latin for "The Art of Poetry." ... The rhyme scheme of Ars Poetica is AA, BB, CC, DE, FF, GH, HI, FF, JJ, KK, LM, NO. ...
Overall, Ovid is very detailed in explaining the formless mass, creation of the earth, waters and land metaphorically. ... Ovid states that "the gods, who [make] the changes, will help me--or I hope so--with a poem"(548). ... There is also water, but "water, which no man [can] swim," in both accounts(Ovid, 549). ... The stones that Deucalion throw become men, and the ones that Pyrrha toss, turn into women(Ovid 559). ... In Ovid's tale, the animals of the earth form, or evolve, from heat and water amongst the mud(559). ...
Overall,Ovid is very detailed in explaining the formless mass, creation of the earth,waters and land metaphorically. ... Ovid states that "the gods, who [make] the changes, will help me--or Ihope so--with a poem"(548). ... There is also "no sun to light the universe,"(Ovid,549) so "darkness [is] over the surface of the deep"(Genesis 1:2). There isalso water, but "water, which no man [can] swim," in both accounts(Ovid, 549). ... In Ovid's tale, the animals of theearth form, or evolve, from heat and water amongst the mud(559). ...
Epic of Gilgamesh and Ovid's Metamorphoses: Comparing the great floods In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the hero of the flood is not the protagonist, but a god who had once been mortal. ... This is one major difference with Ovid: some people had forewarning from Ea and they had time to build an ark. In Ovid's version, the gods conceived a plan that all men were wicked and deserved to perish at their hands. ... The new race of men spawned in Ovid's version came not from Deucalion and Pyrrha coming together, but throwing stones over their shoulders, a symbolic meaning that man cam...
When the Middle ages turned into the Renaissance there was a new form of music called ars nova, or "new art". ... Ars antiqua, or "old art" was sacred music. Philippe de Vitry was one of the people who started ars nova music. Another important composer of ars nova was a Frenchman by the name of Guillaume de Machaut. ...
Ovid's Amores The main concept that surrounds Classical Greek literature is the fact that Eros, or love, is the enemy against all reason. ... Through these poems, Ovid illustrated the power of Eros that can inevitably destroy not only a man's reasoning, but also his dignity and his soul as well. Ovid's concept of infidelity between lovers is key to the design of these poems. ...
Willie Perdomo's poem "Papo's Ars Poetica" is written about areas of the world that are full of violence and grief. ... Perdomo is concerned with these people from areas of urban poverty and wrote "Papo's Ars Poetica" to show people that they are human too and deserve to be recognised. ... "Papo's Ars Poetica" is rich in graphic descriptions that illustrate Perdomo's view of a ugly world. Through "Papo's Ars Poetica", Perdomo can portray the life of anger and violence. ...
This new style of musical composition, entitled Ars Nova, was well accepted in France by the fourteenth century. ... Although he invented neither isorhythm nor the technique known as hocket, Guillaume de Machaut, who engaged in the religious (or perhaps more accurately, secularist) political, and intellectual movements of the fourteenth century, and who may be regarded as the quintessential Ars Nova composer, incorporated these two techniques as well as elaborations on them (such as pan-isorhythm), extremely effectively in his compositions. ... Still, what was discouraged by the church was e...
