Ausonius must be read to be believed! As poet, no subject is too trivial for him; as courtier, no flattery too excessive.
Attribution disputed; shown as originally published.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Ausonius, as a poet and courtier, addresses all subjects, never shying away from trivial matters or excessive flattery.
- In plain terms
- Ausonius writes about anything, from the small to the flattering.
- What can you take from it?
- Appreciate a writer who tackles all topics without restraint.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Does flattery enhance or detract from literary value?
- How does covering trivial topics affect a poet's reputation?
Another view
Excessive flattery may undermine critical insight.
More from Ausonius
In the history of versification did anyone ever juggle so wildly well with iambics, sapphics, dactylics, anapestics, and all the rest? He fabricated verses mos…
Permalink to quote #11 It is the things which Ausonius reveals unconsciously that win him liking, not those which he sets out to celebrate with a kind of innocent pomp: not the chair…
Permalink to quote #13 The poetical fame of Ausonius condemns the taste of his age.
Permalink to quote #10
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