The World of Ovid's Metamorphoses

Synthesizing a wealth of detailed observations, Joseph Solodow studies the structure of Ovid’s poem Metamorphoses , the role of the narrator, Ovid’s treatment of myth, and the relationship between Ovid’s and Virgil’s presentations of Aeneas. He argues that for Ovid metamorphosis is an act of clarification, a form of artistic creation, and that the metamorphosed creatures in his poem are comparable to works of art. These figures ultimately aid us in perceiving and understanding the world.