Question
Read the excerpt from a poem about changes in people’s lives and then answer the questions that follow.
from Metamorphoses
Book XV, The Teachings of Pythagoras
by Ovid
Notice the year’s four seasons: they resemble
Our lives. Spring is a nursling, a young child,
Tender and young, and the grass shines and buds
Swell with new life, not yet full-grown nor hardy1,
5 But promising much to husbandmen2, with blossom
Bright in the fertile fields. And then comes summer
When the year is a strong young man, no better time
Than this, no richer, no more passionate vigor.
Then comes the prime of Autumn, a little sober,
10 But ripe and mellow, moderate of mood,
Halfway from youth to age, with just a showing
Of gray around the temples. And then Winter,
Tottering3, shivering, bald or gray, and agèd.
Our bodies also change. What we have been,
15 What we now are, we shall not be tomorrow.
There was a time when we were only seed,
Only the hope of men, housed in the womb,
Where Nature shaped us, brought us forth, exposed us
To the void air, and there in light we lay,
20 Feeble and infant, and were quadrupeds4
Before too long, and after a little wobbled
And pulled ourselves upright, holding a chair,
The side of the crib, and strength grew into us,
And swiftness; youth and middle age went swiftly
25 Down the long hill toward age, and all our vigor
Came to decline, so Milon, the old wrestler,
Weeps when he sees his arms whose bulging muscles
Were once like Hercules’, and Helen weeps
To see her wrinkles in the looking glass:
30 . . . Time devours all things
With envious Age, together. The slow gnawing5
Consumes all things, and very, very slowly.
1 hardy- strong
2 husbandmen- farmers
3 tottering- unsteady
4 quadrupeds- crawlers
5 gnawing- eroding
from Metamorphoses
Book XV, The Teachings of Pythagoras
by Ovid
Notice the year’s four seasons: they resemble
Our lives. Spring is a nursling, a young child,
Tender and young, and the grass shines and buds
Swell with new life, not yet full-grown nor hardy1,
5 But promising much to husbandmen2, with blossom
Bright in the fertile fields. And then comes summer
When the year is a strong young man, no better time
Than this, no richer, no more passionate vigor.
Then comes the prime of Autumn, a little sober,
10 But ripe and mellow, moderate of mood,
Halfway from youth to age, with just a showing
Of gray around the temples. And then Winter,
Tottering3, shivering, bald or gray, and agèd.
Our bodies also change. What we have been,
15 What we now are, we shall not be tomorrow.
There was a time when we were only seed,
Only the hope of men, housed in the womb,
Where Nature shaped us, brought us forth, exposed us
To the void air, and there in light we lay,
20 Feeble and infant, and were quadrupeds4
Before too long, and after a little wobbled
And pulled ourselves upright, holding a chair,
The side of the crib, and strength grew into us,
And swiftness; youth and middle age went swiftly
25 Down the long hill toward age, and all our vigor
Came to decline, so Milon, the old wrestler,
Weeps when he sees his arms whose bulging muscles
Were once like Hercules’, and Helen weeps
To see her wrinkles in the looking glass:
30 . . . Time devours all things
With envious Age, together. The slow gnawing5
Consumes all things, and very, very slowly.
1 hardy- strong
2 husbandmen- farmers
3 tottering- unsteady
4 quadrupeds- crawlers
5 gnawing- eroding
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
Based on the provided excerpt from Ovid's "Metamorphoses," here are a few questions and their corresponding answers:
1. **What seasonal metaphor does the poet use to describe the stages of human life?**
The poet uses the four seasons—Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter—as metaphors for the different stages of human life. Spring represents infancy and youth, Summer symbolizes young adulthood and vigor, Autumn reflects maturity and moderation, and Winter represents old age and decline.
2. **How does the poem depict the progression from youth to old age?**
The poem portrays the progression from youth to old age as an inevitable journey. It illustrates how individuals transition from being feeble infants to strong young adults, and then to mature individuals who begin to experience decline. This natural progression is marked by physical changes reflected in the metaphor of the seasons, emphasizing that time transforms everyone.
3. **What emotions are associated with aging in the poem?**
The poem evokes feelings of sadness and loss associated with aging, as evidenced by references to Milon, the old wrestler, who weeps over his once formidable strength and Helen, who is distressed by the appearance of her wrinkles. These emotions convey a sense of nostalgia and the inevitability of aging, suggesting that the beauty and vigor of youth are eventually lost.
4. **What does the phrase “Time devours all things” suggest about the poet’s views on mortality?**
The phrase “Time devours all things” suggests a fatalistic view of mortality, indicating that time is an ultimate force that consumes life and vitality. It highlights the idea that aging and decline are integral parts of existence, and that all things, no matter how strong or beautiful, will be eroded by the passage of time. This underscores the transient nature of life and the inevitability of death.
5. **What is the significance of the comparison between human life and the cycle of nature?**
The comparison between human life and the cycle of nature underscores the interconnectedness of human experiences with the natural world. It implies that just as the seasons change and influence the environment, our lives undergo seasons of growth, maturity, and decline. This signifies that life is a natural process, shared by all living beings, reinforcing the themes of change, growth, and acceptance of mortality.
1. **What seasonal metaphor does the poet use to describe the stages of human life?**
The poet uses the four seasons—Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter—as metaphors for the different stages of human life. Spring represents infancy and youth, Summer symbolizes young adulthood and vigor, Autumn reflects maturity and moderation, and Winter represents old age and decline.
2. **How does the poem depict the progression from youth to old age?**
The poem portrays the progression from youth to old age as an inevitable journey. It illustrates how individuals transition from being feeble infants to strong young adults, and then to mature individuals who begin to experience decline. This natural progression is marked by physical changes reflected in the metaphor of the seasons, emphasizing that time transforms everyone.
3. **What emotions are associated with aging in the poem?**
The poem evokes feelings of sadness and loss associated with aging, as evidenced by references to Milon, the old wrestler, who weeps over his once formidable strength and Helen, who is distressed by the appearance of her wrinkles. These emotions convey a sense of nostalgia and the inevitability of aging, suggesting that the beauty and vigor of youth are eventually lost.
4. **What does the phrase “Time devours all things” suggest about the poet’s views on mortality?**
The phrase “Time devours all things” suggests a fatalistic view of mortality, indicating that time is an ultimate force that consumes life and vitality. It highlights the idea that aging and decline are integral parts of existence, and that all things, no matter how strong or beautiful, will be eroded by the passage of time. This underscores the transient nature of life and the inevitability of death.
5. **What is the significance of the comparison between human life and the cycle of nature?**
The comparison between human life and the cycle of nature underscores the interconnectedness of human experiences with the natural world. It implies that just as the seasons change and influence the environment, our lives undergo seasons of growth, maturity, and decline. This signifies that life is a natural process, shared by all living beings, reinforcing the themes of change, growth, and acceptance of mortality.