LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Metamorphoses, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Metamorphosis
Humanity vs. Nature
Love and Destruction
Gods and Humans
Time, Fate, and Poetry
Summary
Analysis
Ovid asks the reader to picture a region between the earth, sea, and sky. This is where the goddess Rumour lives, able to see everything and whisper to anyone. The place is constantly echoing and filled with a gossiping crowd spreading true and false rumors.
Ovid takes this section to introduce Rumour. He does this in order to acknowledge the force that causes hearsay to spread—an occurrence that can spur action.
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Clark, Cora. "Metamorphoses Book 12: Rumour." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 21 Jun 2022. Web. 22 Apr 2025.
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