The Love Poems

Ovid's love poetry, like everything else he wrote, was original and innovative. Yet under the surface of the poet's characteristic wit runs an undercurrent of serious meaning--the theme of the poet's complete control of his medium and his art and a proud consciousness of achievements registered and yet to come. Ovid claimed to be the "Virgil of elegy" and in such poetry as Amores, Ars Amatoria and Remedia Amoris, he largely succeeded. These accomplished translations of the love poetry adopt a highly entertaining modern idiom, yet maintain the sophisticated elegance of Ovid's Latin. Melville, the acclaimed translator of the Metamorphoses, employs rhyme throughout and evolves an original metrical system that gives a greater sense of Ovid's elegaic couplets than earlier systems. He also includes, with some revisions, B.P. Moore's brilliant version of Ars Amatoria, published over fifty years ago and still unequalled.