Ovid love sex poem

Question 1

adposui medio membra levanda toro (2)

Answer 1

• ‘to rest my limbs upon a bed I lay’
• Alliteration: Repitition of the ‘m’ sound in medio membra. The soft ‘m’ sounds convey relaxation and the soothing environment of a midday rest.

Question 2

pars adaperta fuit, pars altera clausa fenestrae (3)

Answer 2

• ‘one shutter closed, the other open stood’
• Chiasmus: Forms an ABBA pattern with ‘pars adaperta…pars altera clause.’ This mirrored structure emphasises the balance between light and shadow, creating an intimate setting.

Question 3

quale fere silvae lumen habere solent (4)

Answer 3

• ‘which gave such light as lies within wood’
• Simile: Comparing the room’s light to that of a forrest. Evokes a dappled, gentle light, enhancing the sensual and serene atmosphere.

Question 4

qualia sublucent fugiente crepuscula Phoebo (5)

Answer 4

• ‘like twilight shade at setting of the sun’
• Allusion: Reference to Phoebus, another name for Apollo, the sun god. Adds a mytholigcal layer, enriching the imagery and connecting the scene to broader themes of beauty and transition.

Question 5

aut ubi nox abiit, nec tamen orta dies (6)

Answer 5

• ‘Or when night’s gone and yet day not begun’
• Juxtaposition: Placing ‘nox’ and ‘dies’ side by side highlights the transitional time, enhancing the dreamlike and intimate mood.

Question 6

illa verencundis luc est praebenda puellis (7)

Answer 6

• ‘such light for bashful girls one should provide’
• Transferred Epithet: ‘verecundis’ (shy) describes the girls but could also describe the light. Suggests that the light itself is modest, reinforcing the delicate and private setting.

Question 7

qua timidus latebras speret habere pudor (8)

Answer 7

• ‘In which their shyness may have hope to hide’
• Personification: ‘Pudor’ (shyness) is given the human ability to hope. Emphasising the intimate atmosphere where even modesty seeks refuge, enhancing the poem’s sensuality.

Question 8

ecce, corinna venit, tunic velata recincta (9)

Answer 8

• ‘in came Corinna in a lose gown’
• Enjambment: The sentence continues into the next line, mirroring the sudden and flowing entrance of Corinna, adding to the poem’s dynamism.

Question 9

candida dividua colla tegente coma (10)

Answer 9

• ‘her white neck hid with tresses hanging down’
• Alliteration: Repitition of the sound ‘c.’ The soft ‘s’ enhances the sensual depiction of Corinna’s appearance.

Question 10

deripui tunicam; nec multum rara nocebat (11)

Answer 10

• ‘I snatched her gown; being thin the harm was small’
• Assonance: Repitition of the ‘r’ sound emphasises the swift and eager action of removing the tunic, highligting the intensity of the movement.

Question 11

pugnabat tunica sed tamen illa tegi (12)

Answer 11

• ‘yet strove she to be covered there withal’
• Juxtaposition: The contrast between ‘pugnabat’ (struggled) and tegi (to be covered). Emphasising the sensual tension of the scene.

Question 12

cumque ita pugnaret, tumquam quae vincere nollet (13)

Answer 12

• ‘and striving thus as one wished to fail’
• Simile: Compares her resistance to a mock battle, suggesting playful reluctance.

Question 13

victa est non aegre proditione sua (14)

Answer 13

• ‘was simply beaten by her self-betrayal’
• Irony: Her own betrayal suggests that her resistance was intentionally ineffective.

Question 14

ut stetit ante oculos posito velamine nostros (15)

Answer 14

• ‘stark naked as she stood before mine’
• Enjambment: The sentence continues from the previous line. The flow mirrors the unveiling, creating a seamless transition, and enhances the intimacy of the moment.

Question 15

in toto numquam corpore menda fuit (16)

Answer 15

• ‘no blemish on her body could I spy’
• Hyperbole: Exaggeration of perfection, asserting her beauty is flawless. Conveys the speaker’s admiration and the idealisation of Corinna.

Question 16

quas humeros, quales vidi tetigique lacertos! (17)

Answer 16

• ‘what arms and shoulders did I touch and see’
• Tricolon: A series of three elements of seeing, touching, and describing. Emphasises the sensory experience, drawing the reader to the visual appreciation of Corinna’s form.

Question 17

forma papillarum quam fuit apta premi! (18)

Answer 17

• ‘how apt her bosom to be pressed by me’
• Alliteration: Repitition of the ‘p’ sound mimics the gentle pressure describes. Enhances the sensuality and rhythm of the line.