Poetry Analysis: Diana and Actaeon
Enmanuel Perez
2/20/13
English 192- MTA
Professor Samantha Zighelboim
“Poetry Analysis on Diana and Actaeon” In the poem, Metamorphoses by Ovid, in the short story “Diana and Actaeon” describes how chaste Diana’s punishment to Actaeon can be seen a bit unfair. Diana being the goddess of the hunt was innocently taking a bath with her nymphs bathing her when out of the blue a young man called Actaeon is caught seeing the goddness of the hunt naked. Knowing someone saw her naked while bathing, Diana decided to punish Actaeon in a very cruel way. This poem can be compared to modern translation “Actaeon”. Both poems have their similarities as well as their difference. The poem “Diana and Actaeon” can be compared to “Actaeon” in the way of they metamorphose differently.
In the poem “Diana and Actaeon” and in the modern translation “Actaeon” we see how the texts are both very similar but told a bit differently. In the first text we see how Ovid is more detailed when it comes to the beginning of this poem. Ovid talks about Actaeon being the grandson of Cadmus. In the second text we see how this story has a different title which is just “Actaeon”, which immediately makes the reader believe that the author does not like Diana’s punishment to Actaeon. In the first text says, “At once, Seeing a man, all naked as they were, The nymphs, beating their breasts, filled the whole grove With sudden screams and clustered round Diana To clothe her body with their own. But she Stood taller, a head taller than them all;… So deeply blushed Diana, caught unclothed” (Ovid, 56). Here we see Diana seen naked by young hunter Actaeon that was just idly wandering through the woods. In the second text says, “He peered Into the gloom to see the waterfall- But what he saw were nymphs, their wild faces Screaming at him in a commotion of water. And as his eyes adjusted, he saw they were naked, Beating their breasts as they screamed at him. And he saw they were crowding together To
2/20/13
English 192- MTA
Professor Samantha Zighelboim
“Poetry Analysis on Diana and Actaeon” In the poem, Metamorphoses by Ovid, in the short story “Diana and Actaeon” describes how chaste Diana’s punishment to Actaeon can be seen a bit unfair. Diana being the goddess of the hunt was innocently taking a bath with her nymphs bathing her when out of the blue a young man called Actaeon is caught seeing the goddness of the hunt naked. Knowing someone saw her naked while bathing, Diana decided to punish Actaeon in a very cruel way. This poem can be compared to modern translation “Actaeon”. Both poems have their similarities as well as their difference. The poem “Diana and Actaeon” can be compared to “Actaeon” in the way of they metamorphose differently.
In the poem “Diana and Actaeon” and in the modern translation “Actaeon” we see how the texts are both very similar but told a bit differently. In the first text we see how Ovid is more detailed when it comes to the beginning of this poem. Ovid talks about Actaeon being the grandson of Cadmus. In the second text we see how this story has a different title which is just “Actaeon”, which immediately makes the reader believe that the author does not like Diana’s punishment to Actaeon. In the first text says, “At once, Seeing a man, all naked as they were, The nymphs, beating their breasts, filled the whole grove With sudden screams and clustered round Diana To clothe her body with their own. But she Stood taller, a head taller than them all;… So deeply blushed Diana, caught unclothed” (Ovid, 56). Here we see Diana seen naked by young hunter Actaeon that was just idly wandering through the woods. In the second text says, “He peered Into the gloom to see the waterfall- But what he saw were nymphs, their wild faces Screaming at him in a commotion of water. And as his eyes adjusted, he saw they were naked, Beating their breasts as they screamed at him. And he saw they were crowding together To