Those who do not pursue a higher meaning in life as just part of a mob
In "Ode I’’ in the second stanza, the narrator describes the rest of the Roman population, those who do not understand the beauty of poetry. Those who write poetry and the people who support financially the poets are hailed as heroes and as people who can be compared to Gods. The other people, those who had no interest in poetry are described as an angry mob, people who had no connection whatsoever with the Roman civilized world. Thus, while those who read poetry are portrayed in a positive way, poetry is also portrayed as the only way through which a person can achieve intelligence and a high social status.
The beast which we call man
In the "Ode XVI’’, the narrator addresses a young woman who remains unnamed and who presumably offended by something which the author wrote at one point in his life. The narrator lists a few methods to get rid of that anger but recognizes that the person in question may still fail to remove those negative feelings. The reason why this may prove to be difficult is because mankind is described here as a combination between animal and rationality. According to the narrator, man is a mixture of everything divine and the worst animalistic characteristics which can be found on this earth. Through this image, the narrator thus transmits the idea that one person should not be surprised when a fellow citizen does something which can be criticized and which is less than moral and proper.
Women as easily scared
In "Ode XXIII’’ the narrator describes young unmarried women with fawns which are quickly to run away and try to find safety in the mountains when they hear someone wants to marry them. The image created here is that of women who above all are afraid of having their liberty taken away from them. Thus, they try everything they can to protect it. Still, the association between a fawn and a woman has also the purpose of portraying women as helpless creatures who do not have any real power.
Death as a long sleep
In "Ode XXV’’, the narrator compares death with a long sleep in which every person on earth fall in at one point during their life. This sleep is described as being peaceful, devoid of any nightmares and trapped in a long and endless night. The image created here when it comes to death is not a negative one, but rather has the purpose of portraying death as something which will come for everyone and an event which is inevitable and thus should not be feared.
