Baucis and Philemon literary analysis

Atlantiades positis caducifer alis.

synchesis which stress the dignified important nature of the goals as a guest. Baucis and Philemon are treating them respectfully through dramatic irony.

locus requiemque pententes

pleonasm and hendiadys which draws attention to the test of the gods and the faulure of humans to offer hospitality

caducifer

epithet - gives more information about a person

mille domos ... mille domos

anaphoria stresses the poor treatment the gods have received from so many homes

tamen una recepit,

short, emphatic sentence, balances the line

mille ... una

contrast which emphasises the scale of

What is learnt about Baucis and Philemon in the first couple of lines?

They're humble and these origins stand in contest to their big hospitality

parva quidem, stipulis et canna tecta palustri,

demonstrates the poverty of Baucis and Philemon

canna tecta

assonance

illa sunt annis iuncti iuvenalibus

synchesis, the verb is linked with unity, joining together, shows the close knit nature of their relationship and love

nec iniqua mente

litotes, double negative emphasising their morally upright and resilient characters. Ovid suggests they might be bitter but they bear it gracefully

fatendo ... ferendo

consonance, rhyming sounds

nec refert

short promoted phrase

tota domus duo sunt

metaphor and alliteration shows they are united and strong and sustainable as a unit of 2

parentque iubentque

polysyndeton and consonance, which shows that they're equals, not one rules the other and that they don't rely on anyone

caelicolae

caelum means heaven so it stresses the dignity of the heavenly beings

summissoque ... vertice

hyperbaton emphasises the contrast between gods and men even if the gods are unrecognised

summissoque humiles intrarunt vertice postes

synchesis, ABAB

posito ... sedili

hyperbaton, couch being set out, words are set apart

penates

menotonymy mentions part of something that describes something bigger, translated as house, they're making the gods seem smaller, less important than they are

ignes ... hesternos

hyperbaton to emphasise the distance or oldness of fires that had gone out

suscitat hester is

sibilance and onomatopoeia of suscitat, like resuscitate

dimovit, suscitat, nutrit, producit, detulit, minuit, admovit

the use of polysyndeton and the list of verbs show that Baucis is very busy

detulit et minuit parvoque admovit aeno

tricolon, emphasises how much Baucis does

undis

"waves" graphic word which describes water boiling, beauty

parvos, textum, sordida, exiguam

words that show Baucis and Philemon are quite poor

medias ... horas

hyperbaton which emphasises the passing of time

fovendos

gerundive of obligation emphasises that they're really cold

... accipit

enjambment which emphases run over, mirrowing displacement of water when a person gets into water

details of the bed

poetic redudancy which is elegant, humble, basic

vestibus ... vestis

polyptoton

vilisque vetusque

alliteration

accubuere dei

short, succinct sentence which slows down the pace of the lengthy description. contrast

sponte sua per seque vident succrescere vina;

sibilance draws attention to strangeness of the event

manibusque supinis

shows piety to the Gods

manibusque ... Baucisque ... timidusque ... et ... nullisque

polysyndeton which increases the pace and drama. Symbolises the piety when praying

unicus ... minimae

unicus is promoted to the front which emphasises the ONE goose

unicus anser ... confugisse deos

one long sentence mirrors length chase of the goods

custodia

humorous, means guardian but the guardian is a goose

celer penna tardos aetate

synchesis, hilarious silly scene, old people running after 1 goose, juxtaposition

confugisse deos

slightly humorous, ironic, seeking refuge which mirrors Baucis and Philemon's actions

superi vetuere necari, di

superi and di promoted to the front, shows importance of the gods

'di' que 'sumus,'

interrupted speach dramatises what the gods are saying

poenas impia

enjambment which highlights the severity of the crime and the consequences

vestra ... tecta

hyperbaton, emphasises the distance they have to put between their homes

longo ... clivo

hyperbaton

relinquite ... comitate ... ite

commands, tricolon crescenes as words are getting more graphic as we go on

tantum aberant summo, quantum semel ire sagitta missa potest:

the enjambment mimicks the journey of the arrow and the simile "tantum ... quantum" further emphasises that

Line 51 to lines 52-42

Change in pace from where Baucis and Philemon were slowly climbing the mountain to the speed created by successive enjambements creates excitement in the lead up to the reveal

dumque ... dum deflent

sorrowful alliteration and "dum" anaphora, shows Baucis and Philemon's emotional state before the metamorphosis of their house is described

vertitur in templum: furcas subiere columnae,

The caesura places a pause after templum. This gives the revelation of the houses metamorphosis extra impact as the words linger slightly longer for the audience hearing it

marmore tellus

highlights the dramatic transformation the house has undergone

aurataque ... caelataeque ... adopertaque

polysyndeton which highlights the many elements of the transformed house

placido ... ore

hyperbaton

dicite ... quid optetis

Jupiter's speech is broken up by a very complimentary address. This is a change in sentence structure

delubraque ... et ... nec ... neu

polysyndeton which draws attention to their specific wishes, which they have reasons for

auferat ... videam

subjective which expresses their wish and desire for these things

vota fides sequitur

short sentence, succinct, their wish was easily and happily granted

templi tutela

alliteration, emphasises their wish

frondere ... frondere

anaphora, emphasises the conspexit

conspexit

verb translates x2, once with B as a subject, once with P as a subject, unites the couple

geminos ... vultus

"twin" faces word choices emphasises their unity

mutua ... dicta

hyperbaton which emphasises the finality of their last words

simul, simul

repetition which emphasises the speed of their metamorphasis, as soon as they said bye, they became trees. It is tender because they spent their last moments on earch wishing each other well