In his 1980 article ‘Aristophanes as a Lyric Poet’, Michael Silk argued that Aristophanes' lyrics, widely admired as jewels of Greek poetry, were overrated. He faulted them above all for lack of intellectual point and profundity, for a generic, timeless lyricism that lacked a genuine metaphysical dimension. To the hoopoe's song in Birds, for example, he juxtaposed Pindar's famous—
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(Pythian 8.95-97)
Creatures of a day!
What is someone?
What is no one?
Man: a shadow's dream.
But when god-given glory comes a bright light shines upon us and our life is sweet.
(tr. Frank J. Nisetich)