The symbolism of the Wall

There is a big diference in what the wall means in Pyramus and Thisbe literally and metaphorically. The wall literally, is a wall that surrounds a whole town which is under the control of Semiramis. The wall is shared by two neighboring houses which are on different sides of the wall. The wall literally holds back Pyramus and Thisbe from seeing and touching each other. The only way the lovers communicate is by whispering through a whole in the wall whole in the wall that was made when the wall was built. Finally, I feel the wall acts as a protector for Pyramus and Thisbe's parents and families. I feel this way because their parents forbade them from getting married and they tried to stop them from loving each other. This wall stops future problems that may happen between the families and their parents since it stops them from getting married. Metaphorically, the wall is an object which acts like a boy or girl who is trying to break apart Pyramus and Thisbe's love for each other. This girl or boy is trying to make Pyramus and Thisbe love him or her. I believe this is the meaning of the wall metaphorically because Pyramus and Thisbe say to the wall, "invide paries, quid amantibus obstas?" Ovid uses personification to make me come to this conclusion. He makes the wall seem like a jealous x-girlfriend or boyfriend that is trying to stop them from loving each other.

Pyramus and Thisbe L55-77

Pyramus and Thisbe has many different figure of speeches contained in it. The very first figure of speech I noticed in this story was use of rhetorical questions. Ovid uses this type of figure of speech twice to create more emotion and emphasis on the point he is trying to make. He says, "quid non sentit amor?" and, "quid amantibus obstas?". He asks the first question to create more emotion on the concept of love and how the wall is not stopping the love between Pyramus and Thisbe. Ovid asks the second question to create more emphasis and emotion on how Pryamus and Thisbe hate how this wall stops them from being together. By asking a rhetorical question it shows the frustration they have against this wall and the fact that a wall doesn't stop their love. Next, Ovid uses personification by giving the wall that seperates the two houses human characteristics. Ovid says, "primi vidistis amantes, et vocis fecistis iter," and, "invide paries". He says the wall is jealous, sees, and has created a pathway. The use of personification portrays a greater sense of feelings because it makes the wall seem like he is acting like a person who is trying to stop Pryamus and Thisbe from being together. It makes the wall act like their parents. Finally, Ovid uses a form of onomatopoeia even though it is not exactly it. He uses it to get the reader into the minds of Pryamus and Thisbe when they whisper through the wall to talk to each other. The onomatopoeia occurs at the end of the words when he says, "vidistis amantes, et vocis fecistis". The "s" sounds at the end of the words create a sense of whispering which makes the reader feel like he or she is hearing Pyramus and Thisbe whisper to each other.

Catullus 8

You're taking step towards being a man,

To move on you be strong and get new fan,

Ask questions about her bad,

This will make you sad,

Not looking back should be your plan.

Catullus 75

This poem is very similar to poem 72 because these are the only two poems that say negative things about Lesbia. In poem 72 he gets mad at Lesbia because he thinks she only knew him. I believe this relates to his negative statement in this poem because he talks about how her sin drags down her mind. I think the sin is how she doesn't only know him. I believe this because both poems are strikingly similar about the negative aspects of Lesbia. For example, in both poems Catullus talks about respecting Lesbia less. The way he does it in this poem is in a more negative way because he comes out directly and says to Lesbia, "I am not able to stop loving you." In poem 72 he says it in a nice way because he doesn't direct it to Lesbia, but we know as readers that he it is about her. Catullus instead, talks about respecting less in general way by saying, "such an injury forces a lover to love more, but to respect less." Another similar aspect that connects both of these poems together is the fact that even thou Catullus says these bad things about Lesbia he ends up saying that he will still love her. For example, in poem 72 he says Lesbia is, "multo vilior et levior", which makes him made, but at the end of the poem he still says he loves her. Then in this poem he hates how his, "huc est mens deducta tua." He doesn't like this because he goes on to say that he is going to respect her less.