The Manipulation of the Iambic Meter in Horace's Epode 5

Abstract

This work proposes an analysis of the metrical schemes of Horace’s Epode 5, a dramatic poem notable for its alternation of voices and for featuring the witch Canidia as the central character. The primary objective of the study is to investigate how iambic meter, specifically the iambic trimeter and dimeter, is manipulated by the poet to produce expressive effects directly associated with the text’s magical, ritualistic, and emotional content. The research, conducted through formal and stylistic analysis of key passages (v. 1-4, 15, 17-19, 30-82, and 82-100), focuses on identifying  metrical variations such as the use of the spondee, dactyl, tribrach, and the strategic placement of caesuras.