Metamorphoses: Book 10

by Ovid
Ovid's Metamorphoses features myths and stories of change, mutation, and transformation. Learn these words from the translation by John Dryden here.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Book 4, Book 5, Book 6, Book 7, Book 8, Book 9, Book 10, Book 11, Book 12, Book 13, Book 14
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. inauspicious
    presaging ill fortune
    With dread these inauspicious signs were view'd,
    And soon a more disastrous end ensu'd;
  2. omnipotence
    the state of having unlimited power
    At length I yielded, won by mighty love;
    Well known is that omnipotence above!
  3. transient
    lasting a very short time
    She too, when ripen'd years she shall attain,
    Must, of avoidless right, be yours again:
    I but the transient use of that require,
    Which soon, too soon, I must resign entire.
  4. voracious
    devouring or craving food in great quantities
    Ixion's wond'ring wheel its whirl suspends,
    And the voracious vulture, charm'd, attends;
    No more the Belides their toil bemoan,
    And Sisiphus reclin'd, sits list'ning on his stone.
    Note how each line includes some alliteration, which emphasizes the music that Orpheus is playing to charm the inhabitants of the Underworld. His music is so melodiously moving that even a vulture stops feeding his face in order to listen to the lyre.
  5. forfeit
    surrendered as a penalty
    For if, before he reach the realms of air,
    He backward cast his eyes to view the fair,
    The forfeit grant, that instant, void is made,
    And she for ever left a lifeless shade.
  6. inexorable
    impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, or reason
    Of rigid Fate incessant he complains,
    And Hell's inexorable Gods arraigns.
  7. destitute
    completely wanting or lacking
    A hill there was, and on that hill a mead,
    With verdure thick, but destitute of shade.
    Where, now, the Muse's son no sooner sings,
    No sooner strikes his sweet resounding strings.
  8. torrent
    a violently fast stream of water or other liquid
    And now, of blood exhausted he appears,
    Drain'd by a torrent of continual tears;
    The fleshy colour in his body fades,
    And a green tincture all his limbs invades;
    From his fair head, where curling locks late hung,
    A horrid bush with bristled branches sprung,
  9. nefarious
    extremely wicked
    At first, to punish such nefarious crimes,
    Their towns she meant to leave, her once-lov'd climes:
    But why, said she, for their offence shou'd I
    My dear delightful plains, and cities fly?
  10. implore
    beg or request earnestly and urgently
    Pygmalion off'ring, first approach'd the shrine,
    And then with pray'rs implored the Pow'rs divine:
    Almighty Gods, if all we mortals want,
    If all we can require, be yours to grant;
    Make this fair statue mine, he wou'd have said,
    But chang'd his words for shame; and only pray'd,
    Give me the likeness of my iv'ry maid.
  11. impudent
    improperly forward or bold
    The youth, returning to his mistress, hies,
    And impudent in hope, with ardent eyes,
    And beating breast, by the dear statue lies.
    Pygmalion has an impudent ("marked by casual disrespect") attitude towards women. His eyes were never ardent ("characterized by intense emotion; glowing or shining like fire") for real women, because he thinks they are all too sexually driven and cannot compare to the beauty and purity of his art. Thus, he humbly prays to the Gods to make his statue real, and impudently hopes they'd grant his prayer.
  12. salacious
    suggestive of or tending to moral looseness
    The father-bull his daughter may bestride,
    The horse may make his mother-mare a bride;
    What piety forbids the lusty ram,
    Or more salacious goat, to rut their dam?
  13. kindred
    related by blood or marriage
    Our kindred-blood debars a better tie;
    He might be nearer, were he not so nigh.
  14. sanction
    a mechanism of social control for enforcing standards
    Secure the sacred quiet of thy mind,
    And keep the sanctions Nature has design'd.
  15. ruminate
    reflect deeply on a subject
    Mad with desire, she ruminates her sin,
    And wishes all her wishes o'er again:
    Now she despairs, and now resolves to try;
    Wou'd not, and wou'd again, she knows not why;
    Stops, and returns; makes, and retracts the vow;
    Fain wou'd begin, but understands not how.
  16. adjure
    ask for or request earnestly
    At this, on high the beldame holds her hands,
    And trembling both with age, and terror stands;
    Adjures, and falling at her feet entreats,
    Soothes her with blandishments, and frights with threats,
    To tell the crime intended, or disclose
    What part of it she knew, if she no farther knows.
  17. perverse
    resistant to guidance or discipline
    Her reason vanquish'd, but unchang'd her will:
    Perverse of mind, unable to reply;
    She stood resolv'd, or to possess, or die.
    "Perverse" also means "deviating from what is considered moral or right or proper"--this describes Myrrha's love for her father. But in the example sentence, the words "unchanged" and "resolved" ("determined") describe Myrrha's state of mind after her nurse attempted to convince her that she is crazy to want the happiness of her mother's marriage-bed.
  18. sanctify
    render holy by means of religious rites
    The solemn feast of Ceres now was near,
    When long white linen stoles the matrons wear;
    Rank'd in procession walk the pious train,
    Off'ring first-fruits, and spikes of yellow grain:
    For nine long nights the nuptial-bed they shun,
    And sanctifying harvest, lie alone.
  19. discordant
    not in agreement or harmony
    Myrrha was joy'd the welcome news to hear;
    But clogged with guilt, the joy was unsincere:
    So various, so discordant is the mind,
    That in our will a diff'rent will we find.
  20. penitence
    remorse for your past conduct
    Ye Pow'rs, if any so propitious are
    T' accept my penitence, and hear my pray'r;
    Your judgments, I confess, are justly sent;
    Great sins deserve as great a punishment:
  21. distend
    swell from or as if from internal pressure
    Mean-time the mis-begotten infant grows,
    And ripe for birth, distends with deadly throes
    The swelling rind, with unavailing strife,
    To leave the wooden womb, and pushes into life.
    The infant was misbegotten because he was created out of wedlock in a deceitful, incestuous way. But even though his mother Myrrha was punished by being transformed into a tree, he continues to grow and distends her until he is ready to be born. Despite the circumstances surrounding his birth, he actually turns out to be a beautiful baby whom Venus later falls in love with.
  22. extravagance
    the quality of exceeding appropriate limits
    There sat Hippomenes, prepar'd to blame
    In lovers such extravagance of flame.
    And must, he said, the blessing of a wife
    Be dearly purchas'd by a risk of life?
  23. recompense
    payment or reward, as for service rendered
    Yet for what crime shall he his death receive?
    Is it a crime with me to wish to live?
    Shall his kind passion his destruction prove?
    Is this the fatal recompense of love?
  24. upbraid
    express criticism towards
    So fair a youth, destroy'd, would conquest shame,
    And nymphs eternally detest my fame.
    Still why should nymphs my guiltless fame upbraid?
    Did I the fond adventurer persuade?
  25. rove
    move about aimlessly or without any destination
    Thus she disclos'd the woman's secret heart,
    Young, innocent, and new to Cupid's dart.
    Her thoughts, her words, her actions wildly rove,
    With love she burns, yet knows not that 'tis love.
  26. consecrated
    made, declared, or believed to be holy
    That field of old was added to my shrine,
    And its choice products consecrated mine.
  27. sportive
    given to merry frolicking
    It chanc'd, three apples in my hand I bore,
    Which newly from the tree I sportive tore;
    Seen by the youth alone, to him I brought
    The fruit, and when, and how to use it, taught.
  28. levity
    a manner lacking seriousness
    So swiftly mov'd their feet, they might with ease,
    Scarce moisten'd, skim along the glassy seas;
    Or with a wondrous levity be borne
    O'er yellow harvests of unbending corn.
    Although the example sentence is describing a race, it is not one lacking seriousness, since Hippomenes is racing Atalanta for her hand in marriage, and if he loses, he dies. Here, "levity" is used to describe the racers' speed, which makes them seem so light, as if they were skimming over the seas or levitating over the corn.
  29. baffle
    hinder or prevent, as an effort, plan, or desire
    Hippomenes! (they cried) thy life preserve,
    Intensely labour, and stretch ev'ry nerve.
    Base fear alone can baffle thy design,
    Shoot boldly onward, and the goal is thine.
  30. parched
    extremely thirsty
    O'er-spent with heat, his breath he faintly drew,
    Parched was his mouth, nor yet the goal in view,
    And the first apple on the plain he threw.
    The nymph stopped sudden at th' unusual sight,
    Struck with the fruit so beautifully bright.
Created on Tue Jun 18 13:56:13 EDT 2013 (updated Mon Apr 08 17:15:53 EDT 2019)

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