Horace's Narrative Odes
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Published:10th Jul '97
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Narrative has not traditionally been a subject in the analysis of lyric poetry. This book deconstructs the polarity that divides and binds lyric and narrative means of representation in Horace's Odes. While myth is a canonical feature of Pindaric epinician, Horace cannot adopt the Pindaric mode for aesthetic and political reasons. Roman Callimacheanism's privileging of the small and elegant offers a pretext for Horace to shrink from the difficulty of writing praise poetry in the wake of civil war. But Horace by no means excludes story-telling from his enacted lyric. On the formal level, numerous odes contain narration. Together they constitute a larger narrative told over the course of Horace's two lyric collections. Horace tells the story of his development as a lyricist and of the competing aesthetic and political demands on his lyric poetry. At issue is whether he can ever truly become a poet of praise.
The vastness of the Horatian literary treasure is difficult for any single volume, but Lowrie manages well ... Lowrie reads the texts closely and often offers challenging, fresh insights ... Lowrie offers a valuable and significant contribution to Horatian studies. Highly recommended. * Timothy S. Johnson, Religious Studies Review *
Horatian narrative: an interesting focus. Go straight to Lowrie's account of Ode 3.27 (297-316). It is excellent. I cannot justly summarize this brilliant discussion... an intensely intelligent, ingenious, and original book. * R.O.A.M. Lyne. Journal of Roman Studies LXXXIX 1999. *
Her inquiry reflects a thorough acquaintance with the oceanic scholarly literature on the Odes, as well as a familiarity ... with major currents in contemporary literary theory ... Her approach to theory is distinctly eclectic ... the book poses a comprehensive postmodernist challenge to well-established views concerning Horatian lyric. * Gregson David, The Classical Review *
a thought-provoking book ... Her willingness to admit aporia and to push her observations to, or even a little beyond, the point where they break down is one of the attractive features of her readings. Seldom have I seen a deconstructionist approach put to such effective use ... Lowrie's postmodernist readings do what sensitive readings like those of Commager or Putnam have always done: enrich our reading by bringing out new possibilities in the text. * Lee T. Pearcy, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *
ISBN: 9780198150534
Dimensions: 224mm x 145mm x 27mm
Weight: 618g
396 pages