Metamorphoses by Ovid (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide

By Bright Summaries

Unlock the more straightforward side of Metamorphoses with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of Metamorphoses by Ovid, the awe-inspiring epic poem drawing on the mythology of the world’s creation and humanity’s survival despite the gods’ intervention and the countless transformations that take place along the way – including the timeless stories of Arachne, King Midas and Icarus. The epic is considered to be one of the greatest literary classics and is one of the only collections of so many fascinating ancient myths. Ovid’s legacy lives on to the present day and he is considered to be one of the greatest influences on Western art and culture, as well as being one of the most translated authors of all time.
Find out everything you need to know about Metamorphoses in a fraction of the time!
This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you:
• A complete plot summary
• Character studies
• Key themes and symbols
• Questions for further reflection
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• Language: English
• Publisher: BrightSummaries.com
• Release date: Nov 9, 2016
• ISBN: 9782806287960

Book preview

Latin poet

Born in 43 BC

Died in AD 17/18

Notable works:

Ars Amatoria, elegiac poem

Fasti, elegiac poem

Tristia, elegiac poem

Publius Ovidius Naso (43 BC – AD 17/18) was a Latin poet. He came from a well-off family and benefitted from a complete education: training in rhetoric and in the practice of Roman law. However, poetry was where his passion lay. It brought him fame: Roman high society admired his elegies and his fictional love letters, such as the Heroides. As an adult, Ovid abandoned erotic poetry to dedicate his time to his poem Metamorphoses, which recounts events from Greek and Roman mythology.

Under the reign of Emperor Augustus, he was disgraced and exiled to Tomis. It was in this town, in modern-day Romania, that Ovid spent the last years of his life, which he dedicated to writing mournful texts such as the Tristia or the Epistulae ex Ponto, volumes of poetry addressed to his loved ones who were still in Rome.

Metamorphoses from the world’s creation

Genre: epic poetry

Reference edition: Ovid. (2004) The Metamorphoses. Trans. Kline,