Cleopatra (Horace:Ode1.37) The mood in the opening lines of the poem is one of victory and exaltation.

Horace seems to be excited by the prospect of the future following the end of Cleopatras rule. Horace speaks in command verbs and uses repetition with words such and now and must, perhaps to express his joy to the people of Rome up and inspire them to share his enthusiasm. In the sixth stanza, he refers to Cleopatra as a monster. This metaphor shows that he thinks of her as an evil force coming to destroy their great city. Horace describes Cleopatra using the metaphor of the mad queen showing his disdain and contempt the way that she ruled her people. He talks about her madness again in the third and forth stanza, using repetition once again to illustrate that she was out of control and perhaps a slave to her desires and passions. Horace writes of wine and people being drunk with sweet fortune. He once again uses metaphors here to explain the loss of inhibition and control of the people under Cleopatras influence, acting as if they had been intoxicated during her time. Horace describes and her followers as a contaminated flock of men, further demonstrating his belief that Cleopatras vile influence had her people under a spell of sorts, as if they had little or no control over themselves. The word flock is particularly powerful because it creates an impressions of mindless sheep, following Cleopatra without question or thought. Horace also describes the followers as diseased by vice, showing that their following of the queen was almost like something they couldnt help, like a sickness of sorts, driving them against their regular frame of mind. The word diseased is a particularly powerful metaphor as it gives the reader the impression of decay and possible death. Towards the end of the poem Horaces tone towards Cleopatra changes. He refers to her as brave and daring. These adjectives show us that although Horace thought Cleopatra a bad and intoxicating influence on the people and leaders of Rome, he believed that her suicide was a brave and manly thing to do, and that she had courage and gusto to have taken her life instead of facing the shame of the galleys. Horace says that she doesnt have a womens fear of the sword, meaning that she was not afraid to die. He feels that despite the way she chose to live her life, she died not ceasing to be a queen, and it seems he has gained a humble respect for her being brave enough to take deadly serpents and let her body drink their black poison. The use of adjectives such as deadly and black illustrate his admiration and respect for her bravery in not only her suicide, but the way she chose to die, as well as the reasoning behind it. It seems that in life Horace saw her as a temptress, leading men astray, while in death he saw Cleopatra and a noble kinsman of sorts.