A Hymn

Quiz: "A Hymn" by Horace

1. Recall – Form & Meter: What metrical form does Horace use in "A Hymn," and where does this form originate?

1. Recall – Speaker & Addressee: Who is the speaker of the poem, and to which deity is the poem addressed? Briefly describe that deity's domain.

1. Recall – Setting & Occasion: On what specific date does the festival at the center of the poem take place, and what is the name of that festival?

1. Recall – Key Offerings: What three gifts does the speaker promise to the god in exchange for his protection? Name all three.

1. Comprehension – Tone: How would you describe the tone in which the speaker approaches the god? What does this tone suggest about the relationship between the speaker and the divine?

1. Comprehension – The Wolf and the Lambs: What happens between the wolf and the lambs on the festival day, and why is this image significant to the poem's meaning?

1. Comprehension – The "Hated Ground": What does the phrase "hated ground" reveal about the farm laborer's usual relationship with the land? How does the festival day change that relationship?

1. Analysis – Symbolism of the Young Goat: What does the sacrificed young goat symbolize in the context of the speaker's agreement with Faunus, and what does it reveal about Roman religious practice as depicted in the poem?

1. Analysis – The Golden Age: Which classical concept is evoked by the image of predator and prey coexisting peacefully, and how does this connect to the poem's broader themes of nature and freedom?

1. Analysis – Human and Natural Worlds: Using at least two symbols from the poem (e.g., the scattering leaves, the goblet, the dancing laborer), explain how "A Hymn" presents the relationship between human activity and the natural world on the festival day.

Answer Key

1. Horace uses Sapphic meter, a lyric form that originated in ancient Greece, which he adapted for Latin poetry, lending the poem a formal elegance that contrasts with its playful rural subject matter.

1. The speaker is Horace, a Roman farmer-poet. He addresses Faunus, an ancient Italian god of the countryside, forests, and flocks — a primal, rustic deity associated with the wild and with shepherds.

1. The festival takes place on the Nones of December (5 December) and is known as the Faunalia, a genuine Roman festival observed by farmers and shepherds.

1. The three promised gifts are: a young goat (to be sacrificed at year's end), wine (always poured full in the cup), and incense.

1. The tone is warm and confident rather than pleading — the speaker approaches the god almost as an equal, like a farmer making a deal with a trusted neighbor. This suggests a relationship of mutual respect and sincere, rather than fearful, reverence.

1. On the festival day, the wolf moves among the fearless lambs without attacking them. This image is significant because it represents a suspension of nature's normal violence, evoking a moment of miraculous peace granted by the god's presence.

1. "Hated ground" reveals that agricultural labor is genuinely hard and even adversarial — the worker has struggled against this same soil all year. On the festival day, that same ground becomes a site of joy and dance, transforming hardship into celebration.

1. The young goat symbolizes the price of divine favor — a young, precious life willingly offered. It reflects the Roman religious practice of contractual exchange with the gods (do ut des: "I give so that you may give"), where worship is framed as a reciprocal agreement.

1. The image evokes the classical concept of the Golden Age — a mythical era of perfect peace and harmony. This connects to the poem's themes of nature and freedom by suggesting that the festival briefly restores an ideal, uncorrupted state of existence for both humans and animals.

1. Answers will vary but should engage with at least two symbols. For example: the scattering leaves show nature making its own offering to Faunus, mirroring the human gifts of the goat and incense — suggesting both worlds participate equally in the sacred day. The dancing laborer on "hated ground" shows that human toil is temporarily released, aligning humanity with the freely wandering cattle and the unharmed lambs. Together, these images present the festival as a moment when human and natural worlds merge into shared harmony under the god's protection.