"Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2004.11.01." The Bryn Mawr Classical Review. Web. 11 Mar. 2011.
Catullus has several distinctly different kinds of poems among the works which we have read with varying importance and approach throughout the ages. The Renaissance focused on Catullus's long Wedding poems (See Catullus 61) and the 1700s focues on epigrams for example. In general, however, we see three different versions of Catullus. The first and most known is the Romanitc Catullus, the ideal that Catullus's poems on life and love are the most significant of his works, to the exclusion of his mini epics and such. This version of Catullus is characterized by a general rebellion against the Roman status quo, inspired by emotion. This explains his variation between loving and verbally abusive poems, however it does miss some key aspects of his writing. The second view is the Modernist Catullus, taking a new approach to poetry. While he was indeed a member of the Poetae Novi, and his approach to both short and long poems was quite new and associable with Modernism, he also studied Greek works and employed their styles and meters, so this does not entirely fit Catullus either. The final and most recent perspective on Catullus is the Roman Catullus, which views Catullus as a true embodiment of Roman culture for his time, managing to explain his beliefs/superstitions, cultural references, and emotions. However, it is best to read Catullus's works without much consideration of the author, as all poetry. While it is impossible in reading poetry to not consider the author to some degree, this is best put aside for interpretation.
In my attempts to approach Catullus I have attempted to take poems from all categories of his writing so that I could get a better general picture of Catullus. I had ultimately come to view Catullus as something in between all these ideas, and I can certainly see that I had taken each of these approaches at some point in my reading. In whole, My understanding of Catullus was that he was a Roman author who held rebellious, youthful sentiments which he acted on through his passion and talent for poetry. I think the part of this essay which most deepened my understanding was the Roman approach to Catullus, surprisingly, taking the sum of all the references was something I had not yet considered in my approaches. I would agree that it is a much more complete picture than the Romantic Catullus, which did not really explain most of the poems I read. I find it very hard not to think about Catullus in his shorter poems and still be able to appreciate them, due to how contextual they are, so I disagree with the author towards the end. I find it difficult to argue that he meant for these poems to be interpreted without him in mind, since they are so affiliated with his life and relationships, they obviously are not meant to stand alone. Perhaps for the wedding hymns and mini epics one may interpret them attempting to ignore Catullus, but the ones concerning his friends and lovers must be treated as the author intended.
Essay 2: Defining Catullan Poetics: The opening sequence
The intentions of Catullus's book can be spelled out using its opening poems. In his first poem, he introduces various slang words like "lepidus" for sleek and styling, and refers to his work as a "libellus," a diminuative form of the word "book." He also appears as if he is about to deidcate it to Cornelius, as many of his contemporaries dedicated books to a man in power, but then turns around and offers it to the Muse. The language of Catullus 2 when discussing the girl's treatment of the sparrow elicits imagery of what she might do to a lover, and hints at potential jealousy for her affection. This langauge and set of themes sets the tone for Catullus's later poems. It also gives the sense that the Sparrow would now be able to amend his sorrows which he believes to be greater than its owner's. Catullus 3, the mourning of the Sparrow, invokes Venuses and Cupids instead of greater gods of mourning, to show that he is not truly honest in his pity, instead embracing the sexual opportunity that arises from it. Catullus 5 opens with a passionate tone calling for Lesbia to disregard the sentiments of old men. However, the middle portion of the poem hints much at mortality and the purposelessness of life, in true epicurean style. It is easy to read the poem as a gesture of Romantic rebellion which plays a game with love and the number of kisses. Catullus's love poem to Juventius demonstrates that his sense of amor was not entirely heterosexual or intent on family life.
While I would have liked to use and Essay from the Catullus book in the library, I found that since this one addressed several of the poems to which I responded and talked more about the poetry than Catullus's life unlike the other option I found this most suitable for developing my understanding. I like the author's interpretation in the first poem of appearing to dedicate his work to Cornelius and then presenting it to the muse, it certainly works with both the rebellious youth and Roman images of Catullus. Her interpretation of Catullus 2 certainly falls in line with my own, mostly, however I was not sure about Catullus hinting that his own sorrows were greater than the girl's, both the translations seemed straightforward enough. Furthermore, while I had considered the possibility reading Catullus 3 that he was falsely mourning, but ultimately thought that it was sincere in sorrow as I thought he was trying to communicate the empathy he held for this girl. Looking back at it, the pleonasm in the poem could almost set the stage for a dishonest tone, I can certainly see whence the author was coming. I certainly agree with the author on the first part of 5, as my analysis shows, but I did not detect the same morbidity in the middle part, looking back though I agree. I do bash myself, however, for not noticing the number game and allusion to accounting that the author indicates in the later, more famous part of this poem. Number games were a favorite of the Romans, and this has given me further perspective into how they might fit into everyday life. Finally, the last part of the essay was interesting, particularly considering the emphasis Catullus put on the value of marriage in 61 , I am not so certain that this first part set the tone for the entirety of his work. However, historians believe it is possible his first book contained only 1-60, so that would explain the situation.
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