Ovid's love poetry, like everything else he wrote, was original and innovative. Yet under the surface of the poet's characteristic wit runs an undercurrent of serious meaning--the theme of the poet's complete control of his medium and his art and a proud consciousness of achievements registered and yet to come. Ovid claimed to be the "Virgil of elegy" and in such poetry as Amores, Ars Amatoria and Remedia Amoris , he largely succeeded. These accomplished translations of the love poetry adopt a highly entertaining modern idiom, yet maintain the sophisticated elegance of Ovid's Latin. Melville, the acclaimed translator of the Metamorphoses , employs rhyme throughout and evolves an original metrical system that gives a greater sense of Ovid's elegaic couplets than earlier systems. He also includes, with some revisions, B.P. Moore's brilliant version of Ars Amatoria , published over fifty years ago and still unequalled.