Satires, Epistles and Ars Poetica

In the two books of “Satires” Horace is a moderate social critic and commentator; the two books of “Epistles” are more intimate and polished, the second book being literary criticism as is also the “Ars Poetica.” The “Epodes” in various (mostly iambic) metres are akin to the ‘discourses’ (as Horace called his satires and epistles) but also look towards the famous “Odes,” in four books, in the old Greek lyric metres used with much skill. Some are national odes about public affairs; some are pleasant poems of love and wine; some are moral letters; all have a rare perfection.