Ode IV
In the first stanza of the ode, the narrator places the time when the action takes place as being during winter. The narrator describes this time in the following two stanzas as being a time of inactivity, both for the people who seek refuge inside their homes and for the Gods who have nothing to do but wait for the arrival of spring. The people continue to try and please the Gods, offering sacrifices to the God of the Forests, Faunus.
In the fifth stanza, the narrator introduces Death and describes it as being just as busy as always, going from door to door and affecting every person living on this planet. While Death is described in negative and violent terms, afterlife is presented as being the complete opposite, as the only way through which every person can achieve happiness and can live a wonderful life.
Ode VIII
The main character in this Ode is a woman named Lydia who has a great influence over a man in her life, named Sybaris. The narrator accuses Lydia of ruining the man’s life with her actions and by making him change his way of life just to please her. The narrator claims that because of Sybaris’s feelings, he gave up everything which was good in his life and became poisoned by love and controlled by a woman who leads his to ruin.
Lydia is even compared to Elena, the woman who in Greek mythology influenced the lives of two princes and eventually led to the destruction of Troy. This comparison, which appears at the end of the ode has the purpose of showing just how much of a negative influence Lydia had over the life of Sybaris.
Ode X
The ode mentioned above is a shorter one, addressed by the narrator to Mercury who is called in the first stanza ‘’grandson of Atlantis’’. Mercury is praised in this ode because he brought humanity to civilization and because he is the reason why today we can nowadays enjoy a nice and fulfilling life. The narrator mentions a little bit about the history of Mercury while also making him the inventor of music, or more precisely the inventor of the lyre. The narrator ends the ode by naming Mercury as being the favorite god, both above and under the earth, thus transmitting the idea that he is the most powerful God and the most competent one.
Ode XVI
The ode is addressed to a young woman the narrator had offended, most likely through his writing as the narrator urges the woman to ‘’put an end to my insulting iambic’’. Despite this, the narrator admits that the woman may still fell anger towards him and this is attributed in part to the human nature, described here as a mixture between animalistic instincts and rationality.
Rage is presented as being extremely destructive, as having the power to bring the worst in a person and as destroying entire cities and civilizations. The narrator warns the younger generation and young people in general, identifying them as being the most susceptible to anger and uncontrollable emotions.
Ode XXIII
This ode is addressed to a woman named Chloe, a woman who the narrator wants to court and make her his wife. The young woman resists the narrator’s advances, choosing to run away from him and seek the safety provided by her mother. Because of this, the young woman is compared with an easily scared fawn that runs for the mountains when chased by men. The narrator ends his ode with an attempt to convince the young woman to give in and get married, arguing Chloe is already old enough and mature enough to take a husband.
