Reading response: Ovid, Demeter/Persephone

The first thing that I noticed about Ovid’s style of writing was the concrete feeling of his descriptions. Though the language was still very interesting and expressive, it was much less abstract than Calvino’s and didn’t have as much of a metaphorical sense. For example, in Ovid’s description of the story of Lycaon, the phrases he uses describe visually the changes Lycaon underwent in his punishment (“foam dripped from his mouth,” “his robes were shaggy hair,” (967) etc.). Another really prominent difference is that Calvino is mostly describing cities, not individuals, but often personifies the city, giving the description a metaphorical feel. Ovid, in contrast, tells stories about individuals and though they are not necessarily realistic and possible, they still seem more concrete to me. One major similarity between the two texts is the predominance of descriptive language. Even though, as I mentioned, Calvino’s seems more abstract to me, the bulk of both Invisible Cities and Metamorphoses is description, rather than just plotline. Another similarity is the fantastical nature of the texts – Calvino’s depicts imaginary cities full of impossible happenings, while Ovid’s work deals with mythical characters and stories. The relationship between gods and humans in Ovid’s work isn’t always an amicable one. Already on the third page of Metamorphoses the gods declare that “a race must be destroyed, the race of men” (966). Humans often defy the gods and are punished, such as Narcissus who was turned into a flower for his vanity. However there is also often a romantic element between them, such as Apollo and Daphne, and many humans are also respectful of the gods, as shown in Perseus’ sacrifices to Mercury, Pallas and Jove (983). The creation myth in Ovid reminds me very much of the biblical myth of creation. The concept of the world as a mass of shapelessness and from that a division of land, water, etc., occurred is really similar to the seven day creation that is described in Christian beliefs. Ovid’s tone seems to me to be somewhat instructive – the nature of the myths themselves is to tell a story and the way in which Ovid describes the characters and the plot teach a lesson to the reader. I also get this sense from the way that Ovid uses descriptive but not flowery language.

The most apparent difference between the two versions Demeter/Persephone myths is their format – Hawthorne’s piece is prose, while Homer’s is poetry. Because of this, the tone varies between the two pieces. Homer’s is more serious and formal, while Hawthorne’s is more casual and reads more like a piece of folklore. The characters are also portrayed somewhat differently in the two pieces. For example, Persephone seems more youthful and innocent, almost naïve in Hawthorne’s piece. Also, in Homer’s version, female characters are treated somewhat better, given more respect and power.