Part 2: Why Poetry? Why not just say it?

Poetry is a form of literary art that creates a situation or feeling for the reader to acquire, similarly to one looking at a painting and extracting what it means to convey. Yet like a painting, only the viewer (or reader of the poetry) can extract whatever they think the poem or painting is trying to convey. Poetry is elevated above regular speech, for it has evocative and aesthetic qualities that help it to define what the speaker is trying to convey, and may set a perspective to what the reader should hear. Horace 37 (Odes) is no exception; it can be thoroughly analyzed through structural analysis to determine what the author Horace depicted in the story he was accounting for. Through structurally analyzing Horace, the reader can recognize more than simply the plot of the story; the background to life in Ancient Rome and deeper references that link to the real world can be thoroughly uncovered.

As for any piece of literature, this poem can be interpreted simply by the plot that Horace unfolds, in a similar way to as if he told you the story firsthand. The story of Horace 37 is the story of the battle of Actium, and the aftermath involving Cleopatra's suicide. Horace begins by saying that as a result of the battle that collapsed her "empire" and resulted in the fall of her capitol, Cleopatra and her lover Marc Antony became very drunk and reckless as the battle waned, hoping for fortune. After this, Cleopatra swiftly left Italy, realizing that she would be pursued. She decided that she should die before being captured, but rather than being killed by her own blade she would surrender herself to the poison of venomous. snakes. As a result, she had a fierce disposition in her dying breath, and died before Octavian could capture her.

Horace's use of poetry also depicts deeper meaning in his story, because it unravels connotation that link certain words or phrases to more complex meanings. The mode of analysis that looks at connotations which can be proven in text is known as Semic analysis, and can be frequently used to distinguish poetry. One such connotation that can be taken from the poem is that a weak ruler often leads their ruled to turmoil. This can be assumed because Cleopatra was depicted drunk and mad as her side lost the Battle of Actium. Another connotation that can be assumed from the poem is that self suicide is wrong and undignified, but gruesome death is more noble. This can be assumed because in the story Cleopatra knew that she would be damned for taking her own life with a blade, but knew that it would be best to die before being taken in by Octavian. The gruesome death of the viper striking her leg was more dignified, as the author even recognizes it at the end by calling her "triumphant."

The story of the Battle of Actium and the fall of Cleopatra can be further interpreted into hermeneutic means, which contains interpreting parallels and suspension in poetry and literature. Even though the poem is limited in suspense because it is a narrative of the events of Actium, Horace includes many detailed parallels in the story to describe how Cleopatra departs the shores of Italy to go back home to Egypt. One such parallel is how she describes her pursuing her destination "like a hawk on a weak pigeon," illustrating the deep fervor that Cleopatra assumed as she left Italy. Another parallel similar to this is "a hunter after a rabbit in the snowy plains of Haemoniae, surrendering to the fatal bonds of the monster." Again, this illustrates the deep frenzied desire to get back home from Actium, and deeply illustrates the scene to the reader in a way that only poetry could do.

There are various literary devices that appear in literature, but symbolism in particular can be used in the same way that these other methods have been used to interpret poetry. One such symbol in Horace 37 is the Mareotico wine, which frenzies Cleopatra after she drinks it. This represents the corruption of the regime under Marc Antony and Cleopatra, and also can represent that it will be short lived. Poetry can consist of many examples of symbolism that uniquely distinguishes it from regular literature and gives it more tangible meaning behind regular words.

Referencing a work of literature or poetry can vary depending on when a work is analyzed relative to when it was produced. Over time, more poetry will be produced that can reference back to the original work. Yet this poem simply references the Battle of Actium, and the resulting suicide of Cleopatra. This is mainly the only thing it references.

Diagetics is another way of interpreting poetry, which relies on grammatical elements (mood, tone, word order), regardless of the content of the literature. This is used deeply through the story of Actium, as the story is shown from the viewpoint of somebody on Octavien's side. At the beginning the of the poem, the narrator tells the reader to celebrate on behalf of the battle of Actium, and make a sacrificial meal for the gods as a result of Octavien's victory. This was written this way because Octavien became Augustus, a very popular ruler and the first Emperor of Rome. Yet another diagetic insight can be seen from how the narrator labels Cleopatra. In the beginning, Cleopatra is labeled as a reckless drunk, but in the end, she is labeled as a triumphant woman above common woman. This can be possibly interpreted as that Cleopatra was more noble in the way that she died rather than the way that she lived.

Interpretation is a basic mental tool that people use to understand what something is saying. In the case of Horace’s version of the Battle of Actium, there are a variety of methods for interpreting the text and context behind the poem. The reader must take into consideration that good writers do not just recount their ideas down into a working plotline. Usually they put careful consideration into their writing so that what they want to convey can be realistically understood. The Story of the Battle of Actium is such a piece of poetry, and can define why poetry is better used for outlining the significance behind a story.