When you think of poets, your mind might go to British poets or American poets like Edgar Allan Poe or Emily Dickinson. But if you zoom all the way out and go back to ancient times, you’ll find some of the most well-known poets, such as Homer, who wrote the epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey (though there is debate on whether he was even a real person). Then you have someone like Ovid, who was a real person and a Roman poet. In fact, he’s considered one of the three canonical poets of Latin literature, alongside Virgil and Horace, according to the Online Library of Liberty. And our quote of the day features one of his many lines of poetry, which uses the imagery of water to explain determination and perseverance.
Born Publius Ovidius Naso in Sulmo, Italy, on March 20, 43 BCE, Ovid went on to become one of the most influential poets in the “Western literary tradition,” per the Poetry Foundation. He is most famous for works like Heroides (“Heroines”), Ars Amatoria (“The Art of Love”) and Metamorphoses. That last one was finished in 8 BCE and is deemed “a masterpiece.” According to Britannica, Ovid’s writing and verses were so significant because of “its imaginative interpretations of Classical myth” and due to it being “an example of supreme technical accomplishment.”
Ovid wrote in elegiac couplets for most of his poems, and while you’d maybe think he’d be remembered for strong, passionate language, he’s actually known for how witty he was, per Britannica. But he was still very technical with his work and was very good at using descriptive language to explain details. Today’s quote is just one example of this, using a really good metaphor to illustrate persistence.
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Quote of the Day by Ovid
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“Dripping water hollows out a stone, a ring is worn away by use.”
This quote is from a modern translation of Ovid’s work, The Art of Love, or Ars Amatoria in Latin. According to EBSCO, it’s a poetic work that is a “playful” guide to and strategic look at navigating romantic relationships. It talks about seduction rather than emotional connection, how to meet lovers and what skills you need to be “successful” in an intimate match.
Ovid also gives gender-specific advice, telling men that they need to win over women and show her generosity and attentiveness, and suggesting that women work on beautifying themselves while also stressing that they need to be very judgemental about who they choose as partners. While it is very much a product of its time in terms of the gender binary and gender roles of the era, the difference in his advice for men and women is interesting when looking at it through today’s lens.
Poetry in Translation has a 2001 translation by A. S. Kline of this quote, and it reads: “What’s harder than stone, softer than water? Yet soft water carves the hardest stone.” Another popular translation on Goodreads is: “Dripping water hollows out stone, not through force but through persistence.”
As Poetry in Translation shows, today’s quote shows up in Book I, Part XII: Write and Make Promises. This part includes some of Ovid’s advice to men on how to woo a woman, telling them to make promises they can keep and to “let irksome words vanish from your speech.”
Ovid then writes the above quote, followed by a metaphor about perseverance, using Penelope from The Odyssey, saying that “you’ll conquer Penelope herself in time.” This is referring to the fact that she waited for her husband for 20 years while he was away in the Trojan War, and she refused all suitors to remarry. Insinuating that if you’re persistent enough, you might even wear down someone like her.
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Deeper Meaning of Ovid’s Quote—The Power of Perseverance
At face value, this is a meaningful quote about determination and sticking with something until you see it through. Of course, in context, it leans into some negative male attributes that most definitely will not get you a girlfriend. But, again, in modern times, that’s to be expected when untangling ancient text.
Looking at the quote by itself, Ovid is using this beautiful metaphor of water and erosion to illustrate perseverance. If water is dripping in the same spot on a rock for centuries, you’ll eventually see its mark in the boulder, hence the line “soft water carves the hardest stone” in the 2001 translation. It does a great job of describing a visual that nearly everyone has some experience with or knowledge of. And it’s a good way to express or portray persistence and the fruits of your labor.
But again, within the poem itself, he’s using this metaphor to describe how men should persist with women. That if you stick with his tips long enough and stay on one woman long enough, she’ll cave and give you a shot. Nowadays, we all know that if you have to coerce or annoy a woman into going out with you, you aren’t the most galant of men. However, back then—and in a playful “guide” to love and intimacy—this advice was most likely seen as “good” or helpful.
Regardless of that context, though, it is a really smart way to describe perseverance. Just use it wisely!
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More Quotes from Ovid
“It is convenient that there be gods, and, as it is convenient, let us believe that there are.” “If you want to be loved, be lovable.” “What lies hid is unknown, and there is no desire for the unknown.” “Let others praise the ancient times; I am glad I was born in these.” “Envy can scarcely hold back her tears, when she sees nothing to cry about.” “Love yields to business. If you seek a way out of love, be busy; you’ll be safe then.” “Every lover is a warrior, and Cupid has his camps.”Up Next:
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