Thesis Statement

The powerful bond and love between parent and child is a theme from the past that crosses the boundaries from humans to the stars and possesses our present.

Ovid's Metamorphosis

Ovid (Publius Ovidus Naso) was a Roman born on March 20, 43 b.c. and lived until 18 a.d. His father was of the Eqestrian order in Rome and provided Ovid with a first class education and opportunities to serve in public office. His passion for poetry led him to write the Metamorphoisis, fascinating stories of transformation enabled by the power of gods. Ovid completed the Metamorphosis some where near the time that Christ was born. Chaucer himself favoured the Metamorphosis along with most all of Western Culture. The Metamorphosis and other works of Ovid are said to have furnished great painters and sculptors with the material for their works of timeless art. Ovid also published some of his poetic work under the name of Naso.
Ovid's station is society placed him in a familiar position with the family of Augustus, the emperor of Rome. It is believed that it was some offense to a memeber of this family that led to Ovid's exile from Rome. At the age of 50 Ovid was sent to live the remainder of his ten years in Tomis, a barbarous country that borders the Black Sea known for a severe climate. Seperated from his wife, his work and the prosporous life he had led in Rome Ovid began a metamorphosis of his own.
The tale An Imaginary Life written by David Malouf is the story of Ovid's life in exile at Tomis. In this story Ovid is reaquainted with the Child, a wild boy raised in the forest most likely by wolves or deer. It is Ovids obsession with this creature of nature that drives him to request that the boy be captured and brought to the village. This of course is the beginning of a metamorphosis for the Child. During this period Ovid continues to morph from the political figure of Rome to a man comfortable living among those with a crude language and supersticious practices.
The Metamorphosis written by Ovid and An Imaginary Life written about Ovid are fascinating stories of transformation either from the gods or as a result of man's will. It is the Metamorphosis however that has made Ovid the father of transformation.

Phaethon

3/22/09: The passage from Tales from Ovid titled "Phaethon" was fantastic reading. There was the struggle between Age and Youth ( #2 of the 5 conflicts)at the beginning. The obvious wisdom of age allowing the pride of youth to persuade a tragic oath. Then the mention of four horses which immediately makes you think of the four horses of the apocalypse, and sure enough, there it all is. Conquest, War, Famine and Death (the four horses of the apocalypse) are represented in this tale. First; Phaethon wins the the ride in the chariot. Second; the battle with the zodiac, Third; the destruction to the earth and fourth; the death of Phaeton.
It is interesting to consider that this story may be based on a comet colling with the earth and creating such landmarks as rivers, deserts and mountains as well as skin tone in certain regions. I prefer to accept the tale as the fall of Phaeton, the spoiled son of the sun.

Flyting

3/4/09: one of my most fondest flyting memories happened when I was about 17 years old and my little brother was 14. I had walked home from the bus stop after school only to find my brother, Bill standing at the gate with a lighter in one hand and a can of raid spray in the other. Naturally, I asked "what are you doing dumb ass?" To which he replied;" bite me!" Then he said that was going to kill the wasp nest in the railings of the wooden gate and why don't I mind my own fu.....g business. I said; "listen you punk ass litttle pyro freak, you're gonna burn the gate down or scorcth all the fur off of your inbred face!" Bill swung the gate open and raced out into the street calling me bi..h and waving the lighter and aerosol can at me.
Just then a nieghbor came by walking her dog. She really tried to ignore the two of us standing in the street hurling insults back and forth at eachother while my brother was brandishing a home made flame thrower.
We settled down some as she went directly passed, then Bill raced back for the gate yelling back over his shouler that he wasn't going to let me in. As he reached the gate that he had so violently swung open moments before one of the angry inhabitants of the nest he was intent on destroying came out and stung him on the arm. Now, I know it was wrong butIi just howled! With that my brother turned loose a blue streak of insults at me then took the aerosol can, started to spray the gate, held up the lighter in the stream and flicked his bick. Yep, he burned a good portion of the hair off of his hand and the gate went up like a tinder box.
Perfect timing, as the gate was fully engulfed in flames and I was reminding my brother of all his short comings with every insult I could think of my mother's car pulled around the corner heading for home. She seemed surprised to find the front gate in flames. The moment that she had a grasp of the situation she began to hurl insults at my bother which was naturally a bonus for my day.