Odes / Ars Poetica

Horace's Odes and Ars Poetica represent the pinnacle of Latin lyric poetry and literary criticism. As the master of the Latin lyric, Horace gave the world the phrase "carpe diem," and his Ars Poetica shaped critical thought about literature for centuries, establishing principles of poetic craft that writers continue to follow.

As the unofficial poet laureate of Augustus's Rome, Horace produced works that defined the standards of Latin verse. His Ars Poetica influenced neoclassical literary theory and the critical writings of Alexander Pope, Samuel Johnson, and John Dryden. The phrase "carpe diem" has entered virtually every language as an exhortation to seize the present moment.