The Art of Love

Two symbols that occur frequently throughout The Art of Love are ships and chariots. Ships represent movement, while chariots represent victory; the vehicles are often presented side by side: “art that speeds the boat with oars and sails, / Art drives the chariot, art in love prevails” (Book 1, Lines 3-4). The mixed metaphor describes the skill and artistry required to navigate the complex pathways of love—these routes are as unpredictable as sailing, which uses “oars and sails” depending on weather conditions, and as treacherous as charioteering, which requires a steady hand and nerves of steel.

Sailing imagery is also used to give structure to the poem, guiding readers from one topic to the next. For instance, when the poem is about to continue its advice for men in Book 2, Ovid asks readers to “Here stay the barque” (Book 1, Line 772). This motif represents sticking around for the second book. When Ovid ends the poem, he says he is bringing the “barque to port” (Book 3, Line 748), or the conclusion of The Art of Love.

Chariots meanwhile are also used as symbols of victory. Chariots were an important military vehicle and were thus part of Roman processionals, or parades that celebrate victory.