psyche and cupid #4

The word order in the last sentence contributes to the effect that after all this sadness from the funeral marriage and having everyone look at her as a spectacle and not a real person, there is peace. For example, it says, "per
devexa rupis," and it is written with the word "per" up above the "devexa rupis," because it is as if the words, like Psyche herself, are being carried down
the slopes of the cliff by Zephyrus.

Also, in the beginning of this sentence Psyche is trembling with fear and agitated at the fact that she is left on the mountain top alone forever. The beginning of the sentence shows fear and anger and with the help of Zephrus, who is in the middle of the sentence (serving as the 'angel'), Psyche's life becomes less stressful and anger-filled when she is lifted up and carried to a valley with flowers. It is as if once he comes into the story, her life seems to get a bit better.

As for the choice of words that Apuleius includes, "mitis, aura, molliter, sensim, tranquillo, paulatim, and leniter" all describe something that is gentle and soft and calming. These words serve as a contrast to the previous paragraph about the sad funeral marriage and the weeping people with there unhappy feelings. These words have an effect on the mood because they tie back to the fact that after this funeral marriage, Psyche is finally at peace. The word "levat" is also important because Zephyrus, or the East wind, lifts her up gently. When someone is lifted, it means that they don't have to work hard because someone else has their weight on their shoulders. This word achieves the goal of showing peace of mind because by being lifted, she doesn't have to worry any longer.

The sound and rhythm of this sentence is split up into two parts. Before the comma, Psyche is crying and sad at the fact that everyone left her with this fate. She is filled with fear of what will happen next and with the soft wind of Zephyrus, she is gently carried away and the story changes. This sentence has the effect of reassuring the reader that Psyche will be okay and she is at peace.

Blog on Apuleius, chapter 1. As a topic, address question 5 on page 13.

Venus is represented as a great goddess and has human-like characteristics. This can be seen in many ways. First of all, the impression that the reader gets is that she is very attractive. For example, Apuleius compares the girl named Psyche to Venus. He said, "admirabantur et eam ut ipsam deam Venerem venerabantur," (6-7). Since Venus is known to be outrageously beautiful, the girl being compared to Venus is a huge deal. Another human-like quality that Venus is given is anger. She shows this through, "verae autem Veneris vehementer incensus est animus," (18). This impression on anger is shown through these words when Apuleius says that the mind of Venus was set on fire. Venus became mad because all the mortals were now praying for Psyche, who was only a mortal herself and abandoning Venus from their prayers. Venus also has the human quality of revenge. This can be seen in the line when she says, "nec sic meos honores impune usurpabit," (21). This line is a clear example of how Venus is jealous of the mortal girl and tells the reader that the beauty of the girl will not go unpunished! Another example of her rage is when she says, "virgo ista amore flagrantissimo teneatur hominis infimi et miserimi," (27-28). A negative impression can be made of Venus after she says this because she wants her son, Cupid, to go to the mortal world and make her love the most miserable of human beings. Venus seems like a nasty character who is angry at the fact that someone else is as pretty as her. Another human like charactersitic is when she kisses her son, Cupid, before she leaves and that shows a maternal bond. All these are examples of how Venus acts like a human.