Classic and Contemporary Poetry
WORD-PORTRAITS: OVID, by ROBERT GREENE Poet's Biography First Line: Quaint was ovid in his rhyme Last Line: And as he said, so think I. Subject(s): Ovid (43 B.c.-17 A.d.) | ||||||||
Quaint was Ovid in his rhyme, Chiefest poet of his time: What he could in words rehearse Ended in a pleasing verse: Apollo with his aye-green bays Crown'd his head to show his praise; And all the Muses did agree He should be theirs, and none but he. This Poet chanted all of Love, Of Cupid's wings and Venus' dove; Of fair Corinna and her hue, Of white and red and veins blue. How they lov'd and how they 'greed, And how in fancy they did speed. His Elegies were wanton all, Telling of Love's pleasing thrall, And 'cause he would the Poet seem, That best of Venus' laws could deem, Strange precepts he did impart, And writ three books of Love's art; There he taught how to woo, What in love men should do; How they might soonest win Honest women unto sin: Thus to tellen all the truth He infected Rome's youth, And with his books and verses brought That men in Rome nought else sought But how to 'tangle maid or wife, With honour's breach through wanton life; The foolish sort did for his skill Praise the deepness of his quill, And like to him said there was none Since died old Anacreon. But Rome's Augustus, world's wonder, Brook'd not of this foolish blunder; Nor lik'd he of this wanton verse That Love's laws did rehearse; For well he saw and did espy Youth was sore impair'd thereby; And by experience he finds Wanton books infect the minds; Which made him straight for reward, Though the censure seemèd hard To banish Ovid quite from Rome, This was great Augustus' doom; For (quoth he) Poets' quills Ought not for to teach men ills; For learning is a thing of praise, To show precepts to make men wise; And near the Muses' sacred places Dwells the virtuous-minded graces. 'Tis shame and sin, then, for good wits To show their skill in wanton fits. This Augustus did reply. And as he said, so think I. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...IBIS; FOR LORI GOLDENSOHN by NORMAN DUBIE THE OVIDIAN ELEGIAC METRE, DESCRIBED AND EXEMPLIFIED by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE LETTER TO UNCLE O; FOR ANDREI CORDESCU by ANSELM HOLLO LINES WRITTEN IN AN OVID by MATTHEW PRIOR ON LOOKING INTO GOLDING'S OVID by STEVE SCAFIDI JR. OVID TO HIS WIFE: IMITATED FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF TRISTIA by ANNA LETITIA BARBAULD TO SIR ASTON COCKAYNE, ON HIS TRAGEDY OF OVID by CHARLES COTTON OVID, MEET A METAMORPHODITE by JONATHAN WILLIAMS SANDY'S GHOST; OR ... BALLAD ON THE NEW OVID'S METAMORPHOSIS by ALEXANDER POPE A FAREWELL TO FOLLY: CONTENT by ROBERT GREENE |
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