Commentaries on Catullus Poetry (Poems 72 & 42) Essay Example for Free

Commentaries on Catullus Poetry (Poems 72 42) Essay There is great nuance and sensitivity in poem 72. We are told very early in the poem that it is addressed to Lesbia, Catullus love to whom a moderate number of poems in the collection are addressed (or concern). Earlier Lesbia poems had shown Catullus simple and insatiable love for my girl1 in very romantic language: for example, the lines describing the number of times he wished that they could kiss, in poem 5, which caused Aurelius and Furius to describe Catullus as a sissy poet2. However, in poem 70 we begin to see Catullus feelings for Lesbia turn sour as he tells us that a womans words to her lover are as trustworthy as those written on wind or water after presumably disbelieving her when she told him that there was no one she would rather marry than him, not even if asked by Jove himself3. If we assume that Lesbia was Clodia Metelli, we know that she was already married, so if her words are not suggesting that she has become available, she must be describing an unfulfillable wish and it is perhaps the fact that she says these words but is unable to act on her marriage vow which causes Catullus to be so untrusting4. Compared to the outbursts of joy and fury in the poems of what has been described as the first book, poem 72 is much cooler and more analytical5: Catullus here seems to be writing from his head rather than this heart. He uses, in the poem, two striking, and contrasting, similes to try to understand his love for Lesbia. He loved her (note the past tense) as a common might love his girlfriend (72.3), but in addition to that he loved her also as a father might his sons and sons-in-law (72.4). This is touching because it obviously implies that the latter relationship might be closer, with more of a connection, than the former, and, most importantly, that Lesbia was as dear to him as a son would have been, his own flesh and blood. Wray finds this comparison interesting because it is evidence against the long-standing assumption that Roman paternity was a tyrannical and grimly loveless exercise [of parental power]6 However, from here on in, the tone of love and affection darkens to one of cynicism. Now that he knows Lesbia he is has less affection for the woman. Catullus uses the language of obligation and Lesbia, as he sees it, has wronged him7. The poem ends with the enigmatic but powerful statement that, because of the hurt she has caused him, Catullus loves Lesbia more, but likes her less. At first, this may seem like nonsense and a contradiction in terms. However, when Catullus uses the verb amare (to love) he is describing his attraction to her, a kind of lust or natural allure, something that he seemingly has no control over. As much, then, as he does not like Lesbia for what she has put him through (i.e. her adultery), his love for her remains from the simpler time when he wished to kiss you just so many kisses (7.9) Poem 85 is where Catullus perhaps expresses the ambiguity and seeming contradiction inherent in his feelings best: I hate and I love. Perhaps youre asking why I do that? I dont know, but I feel it happening, and am racked. We can again see here clearly that Catullus is less a master than a subject8 of his emotions. The fact that he paints himself as being so emotionally powerless gives such poems as these a tragic quality; it also, arguably, helps to make Catullus such a universal poet who can still touch people through the ages. Poem 73 also carries some of the injustice that Catullus had expressed in 72: the attack on a friend who is probably Rufus (though we do not realise that the poem is addressed to him until it becomes evident later in the collection) is because he has returned honest kindness with no more than ingratitude. We now realise why the lampoons on Rufus alternated with Lesbia-poems at 69-72.9 This whole section of Catullus collection is a study of betrayal and adverse emotions. In the very first line of poem 72, Catullus talks about himself in the third-person, and this seems to be a literary device which emphasises the fact that he is not in control: it is Lesbia (and her actions) who is the subject of the poem. By declaring that his passion is more intense (72.5) Catullus leads us to think that he is about to, also, tell us how much he therefore loves Lesbia. However, by introducing the dichotomy in the last line between his love and dislike for Lesbia, our expectations are finally overthrown, which makes the contrast seem to be huge. It is by means of literary effects such as these that Catullus manages to express the almost inexpressible nuance of his emotion. This poem, ultimately, is most successful when read as part of the collection, as one can then draw links between the subtle issues in the Lesbia poems and see the complex web of emotions that Catullus paints for us. The development from a romantic, devoting relationship between Lesbia and Catullus to the trauma of that relationship breaking down is fascinating, and may reflect the emotions of millions of people alive today in similar situations. Poem XLII This poem is perhaps most interesting because it in itself can be seen as an imitation of the Roman practice of flagitatio10, which was a form of popular justice involving a crowd surrounding the man suspected of wrongdoing (or his house) whilst shouting roughly rhythmical phrases in unflattering language, demanding redress11. This was a very effective tactic because in a small community fear of defamation was strong; though it did, of course, rely on having friends willing to engage in the practice in order for what was seen as justice to be done. In this case, Catullus tells us that the crime was the theft of a notebook and the subsequent refusal to return it12. We can only speculate about the girl who stole them (though it has been inferred from the fact that she is described as an adulteress13 that she may well be Lesbia) and we also have just as little knowledge about what Catullus stolen notebook may have contained (and why it seems to be so precious to him): we may guess that it contained poetry, but that is no more than a guess. If that were true, the first two lines would contain a sweet irony: Catullus deploys poetry himself, hendecasyllables, as his flagitatio mob. He orders the hendecasyllables to come from everywhere (42.2), to metaphorically surround her. The image is an intimidating one: the lines of poetry have become men enclosing in on the suspect, shouting about her crime. When Catullus demands, Dirty adulteress, give back the notebook. Give back the notebook, dirty adulteress (42.11-12), he is using a technique common to flagitatio: the reversal of word order belonged to a very old popular custom as a means of intensifying the demand14. Catullus readership, we can surely assume, would have been aware of such devices and would at once have understood what Catullus was doing. Between the demands for the notebook, there is much invective and abuse hurled at the girl. Catullus tells us that she has an ugly gait, a face like a Gallican puppys (42.9) and is a filthy trollop (42.13) and a brazen bitch-face (42.17). Newman describes this as a fine example of carnival caricature included for primarily humorous effect15. However, it is not hard to see how these lines could be intended to have a hurtful effect, too, shaming the thief into repentance. Catullus is also all too aware of his social superiority10 and may simply be arrogantly showing his self-importance by making such a fuss over the loss of his notebook. This idea can be seen in, for example, poem 84, in which Catullus mocks Arrius incorrect use of aspirates which is surely caused by the politicians less privileged upbringing: Catullus attack, in this case as could be argued is the case in poem 42, is really then a display of his own aristocratic superiority. There is also a general link with poems such as 46, in which Catullus advertises his social status by documenting his travels with a sense of entitlement to faraway Roman lands. Perhaps the most pleasing feature of this poem is its conclusion. After all the fortissimo shouting, invective and carmina (chanting typical of flagitatio16), Catullus decides that he needs to change tone and tactics (42.22). He thus, seemingly sarcastically, ends the poem by asking for the notebook not by calling her a dirty adulteress but a virtuous lady (42.24), as we see that his invective has, somewhat comically, failed in its objective. On the other hand, the last line could more literally be interpreted as an acknowledgement of the flaws of this kind of public system of obtaining restitution. It does not seem unlikely that the girl would have responded more positively to flattery than flagitatio: Catullus could thus be making a wider point about the role of invective in society. The poem, in the collection, sits between invective poems on either side of it, with the previous three poems containing invective, some quite rude and obscene: in poem 43, for example, Mamurras mistress is described as being ugly from head to toe and, in poem 41, Ameana is called the female fuck-up. Perhaps, then, poem 42 is in the perfect location to show Catullus invective being tempered: it is in that poem that he shows that such anger does not always produce the desired effects. In poems 41 and 43, however, we are not shown any consequences of Catullus airing his opinions. We are simply told, in each, that there is an ugly girl in whom he is not interested: there is not intended to be the nuance and comedy value that poem 42 contains. To conclude, Catullus adopting the form of flagitatio for this poem underscores the poets association with the traditional purposes and values inherent in Roman invective17; not only does he derive authority from the tradition of the technique, but it also allows him to attack her harshly and eloquently. However, ultimately, he couldnt force a blush from, in Catullus words, the brazen bitch-face. We, therefore, see the limitations of invective: perhaps Catullus is admitting to us that we should see it as little more than entertainment. More importantly, though, the twist at the end of the poem is of stylistic and comedic value and can, perhaps, be said to show Catullus eloquence. Moreover, the fact that he feels no qualms at using such openly offensive language can be attributed to the fact that Romans would surely have sympathised with his demands for justice in face of a thief and may, also, be a reflection of his superior social status (not to mention the lower regard with which women were held generally) and consequent security in his right to show his anger in whatever way that he pleased. Ultimately, the poem makes character assassination into an appealing and technically adept art. Bibliography Dyson, J.T. (2007). The Lesbia Poems, in M.B. Skinner (ed.), A Companion to Catullus (Oxford) 254-275. Fitzgerald, W. (1999). Catullan Provocations: Lyric Poetry and the Drama of Position. London. Fraenkel, E. (1961). Catullus XLII, in J.H. Gaisser (ed.), Oxford Readings in Classical Studies: Catullus (Oxford) 356-368. Newman, J.K. (1990). Roman Catullus. Bodenheim. Selden, D.L. (1992). Catullus and the Rhetoric of Performance, in J.H. Gaisser (ed.), Oxford Readings in Classical Studies: Catullus (Oxford) 490-559. Tatum, W.J. (2007). Social Commentary and Political Invective, in M.B. Skinner, A Companion to Catullus (Oxford) 333-354. Wiseman, T.P. (1985). Catullus and his World: A Reappraisal. Cambridge. Wray, D. (2001). Catullus and the Poetics of Roman Manhood. Cambridge. 1 Catullus 2.1. 2 cf. Catullus 16. 3 Catullus 70.2. 4 Dyson (2007) 269. 5 Wiseman (1985) 166. 6 Wray (2001) 112. 7 Fitzgerald (1999) 117. 8 Selden (1992) 541. 9 Wiseman (1985) 167. 10 Fitzgerald (1999) 62. 11 Fraenkel (1961) 364. 12 Catullus 42.4 (refuses to give me our notebook back). 13 Catullus 42.12 14 Fraenkel (1961) 363. 15 Newman (1990) 192. 16 Fraenkel (1961) 364. 17 Tatum (2007) 337.

Charles Dickens Great Expectations Essay -- Great Expectations Essays

Charles Dickens' Great Expectations Charles Dickens wrote Great Expectations in 1860-1861 when he was in London. It is set in the mid nineteenth century, in Kent, and London. The basic plot of Great Expectations is: Pip, a young orphan living with his sister and her husband in the marshes of Kent, sits in a cemetery one evening looking at his parents' tombstones. Suddenly, an escaped convict springs up from behind a tombstone, grabs Pip, and orders him to bring him food and a file for his leg irons. Pip obeys, but the fearsome convict is soon captured anyway. The convict protects Pip by claiming to have stolen the items himself. One day his uncle takes him to Miss Havishams house to play. A few years later he is apprenticed to his sisters husband. One-day pip is told that he is to live in London and has great expectations thanks to a secret friend. A couple of years after this the convict comes back to pip and tells him that he is the person that has been supplying all the money to him and that ever since Pip help him he promised himself that he would make Pip a gentleman. Pip is appalled at this but helps the convict to escape back to Australia. Before the convict escapes he is caught is put back into prison, he gets ill and dies. Before he dies he tells Pip that he has a daughter who was put up for adoption when she was a baby. Pip believes this to be Estella (who he used to play with at miss Havishams house and is in love with her). Miss havisham has died and has left her money to the pockets. Pip decides to go abroad with his friend to work. After some have past Pip comes back home where he goes to Miss Havishams old house where he finds Estella. He finds her coldness and hardness has been repl... ...d social status. This idea soon changes when Pip gets to London. He tries to be a gentleman when he reaches London but soon realises that he has a lot to learn and soon he starts to hate his past, the way he was brought up. After time he begins to hate Joe and the way he makes his living, but when Magwitch tells him who gave the order for him to become a gentleman, he starts to think about himself and what he has become. Then he remembers where his roots are, and who his family are. This is when he realises there's two types of gentleman the good type that he wanted to become and the bad type the one he has become. Only when he helps to save Magwitchs life by putting his own in danger he becomes a true gentleman. Also I think Dickens wanted us to remember where are roots are and who our true family and friends, by the time we had finished reading the book. Charles Dickens' Great Expectations Essay -- Great Expectations Essays Charles Dickens' Great Expectations Charles Dickens wrote Great Expectations in 1860-1861 when he was in London. It is set in the mid nineteenth century, in Kent, and London. The basic plot of Great Expectations is: Pip, a young orphan living with his sister and her husband in the marshes of Kent, sits in a cemetery one evening looking at his parents' tombstones. Suddenly, an escaped convict springs up from behind a tombstone, grabs Pip, and orders him to bring him food and a file for his leg irons. Pip obeys, but the fearsome convict is soon captured anyway. The convict protects Pip by claiming to have stolen the items himself. One day his uncle takes him to Miss Havishams house to play. A few years later he is apprenticed to his sisters husband. One-day pip is told that he is to live in London and has great expectations thanks to a secret friend. A couple of years after this the convict comes back to pip and tells him that he is the person that has been supplying all the money to him and that ever since Pip help him he promised himself that he would make Pip a gentleman. Pip is appalled at this but helps the convict to escape back to Australia. Before the convict escapes he is caught is put back into prison, he gets ill and dies. Before he dies he tells Pip that he has a daughter who was put up for adoption when she was a baby. Pip believes this to be Estella (who he used to play with at miss Havishams house and is in love with her). Miss havisham has died and has left her money to the pockets. Pip decides to go abroad with his friend to work. After some have past Pip comes back home where he goes to Miss Havishams old house where he finds Estella. He finds her coldness and hardness has been repl... ...d social status. This idea soon changes when Pip gets to London. He tries to be a gentleman when he reaches London but soon realises that he has a lot to learn and soon he starts to hate his past, the way he was brought up. After time he begins to hate Joe and the way he makes his living, but when Magwitch tells him who gave the order for him to become a gentleman, he starts to think about himself and what he has become. Then he remembers where his roots are, and who his family are. This is when he realises there's two types of gentleman the good type that he wanted to become and the bad type the one he has become. Only when he helps to save Magwitchs life by putting his own in danger he becomes a true gentleman. Also I think Dickens wanted us to remember where are roots are and who our true family and friends, by the time we had finished reading the book.

Nomads on Notice Essay

In â€Å"Nomads on Notice,† anthropologist Daniel Stiles describes the changing lifestyle of the Gabbra pastoralist. They are one of the numerous nomadic societies that are at odds with the industrial world. The unforgiving territory of Northern Kenya is divided among several tribes. They are all very fierce when it comes to defending their territory. This is very similar to what we have learned in class, relating to the Warrior Groups. The Warrior Groups are usually young males, around twelve years of age, whom protect their land, animals, and people. This region consists of 35,000 Gabbra pastoralists. They claim the dry and salty mud flats of the Chalbi Desert and the eastern shore of Lake Turkana. The Gabbra must move often, up to ten times a year. This is due to the scarcity and temporary nature of water sources and vegetation. Camps would usually split and travel in smaller groups to accommodate the carrying capacity of the land. This is considered Pastoralism, another topic we have learned in class. Pastoralism is the ownership and control over domesticated animals that appear to be about ten thousand. They have more material items than hunting and gathering, but not as much as agriculturalists do. The Gabbra have very few possessions and can pack a settlement and be on their way within a number of hours. Gabbra societies are lead by married men. Their levels of authority are based on their age, how old they are. The main animals of Gabbra society are camels, goats, cattle, and sheep. The animals that provide milk are usually kept at the main camp. The animals that do not give milk are sent off to distant camps called fora, to prevent overgrazing. The fora serve as the border of tribal territories and they are run by young warriors, so they can prevent raids by other tribes. Pastoral societies travel in small groups, usually less than one hundred. They travel frequently, usually every season, to find the most nourishing land for their livestock. In class, we have learned the same, such as they are nomadic with a seasonal around and they move and travel every season. Approximately one hundred through five hundred people will move together at a time. It is also heard for them to engage in a limited amount of horticulture. In class, we have learned that the term horticulture is control over land that they use no tools or factors whatsoever. Everything is done by hand, which means no irrigation or complex machinery. Almost all Pastoral societies consist of all male. In order to fulfill excellent labor needs, the Gabbra rely on their extended kinship and social ties for help. People have large families and live as extended families in large households. Each male in the household may have a different herd to care for. Their duties and tasks may be paid for with food or stock offspring. People may obtain animals as gifts, inheritance, or on a loan. Due to this, it is difficult to figure exactly how many animals one Gabbra may own. The Gabbra does not allow someone to obtain more animals than he and his dependents actually need. If someone exceeds of their livestock, he would redistribute them to the needy as loans or gifts. We have also learned this in class, redistribution. Redistribution is where goods and services are sent to a central authority, and then given out to those who need it. This system of redistribution minimizes the burden placed on the environment. The Gabbra usually store small portions of food, because they are in short supply. Although they are in short supply, the foods that they store can be kept for long periods of time. The recent problems that the Gabbra are facing are nothing new, but they are being heavily influenced to deal with them in much different manners by Westerners. Foreign relief services, missionaries, and government officials are not only providing food relief, but they are telling the Gabbra that their way of life is backwards and primitive. This is an example of ethnocentrism, which is when one culture believes that another culture is wrong and their culture is superior. The lifestyle of the Gabbra can improve if the rain returns and neighboring countries regain stability. If the conditions do not improve, the Gabbra may be forced to change their way of life altogether. Many cultures have been destroyed or nearly destroyed, because of assimilation. People who attempt to assist Gabbra must understand that they must accept their way of life and not change it. References: http://www.questia.com/library/1P3-4957983/nomads-on-notice http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9308230122/nomads-notice

Aristotle Is A Well Renowned Philosopher That Lived And

Aristotle is a well renowned philosopher that lived and taught in Greece during the time of 350 B.C. He was a student of Plato, yet is famous for rejecting Plato’s theory of forms. He was both a prolific writer in addition to a polymath and expanded the knowledge of numerous areas of study. He even classified a multitude of distinctions for different aspects of knowledge that are still in use today such as mathematics and biology. Aristotle was the first to develop a formalized system of logic which was based on the structure of an argument rather than its contents. Aristotle created some 200 treatises of which only 31 survive in a manuscript format instead of how Aristotle would lecture them to his students. He was well known for his†¦show more content†¦Why are humans able to reason? It is because they have a rational soul. Then why do they have a rational soul? It is because they are able to reason. Henceforth the argument is of circular logic. It does however give us a classification for different categories of life which is important in Aristotle s delvings into the sciences. Aristotle lacked the technical and conceptual tools utilized by modern science in his endeavors to explain why something is true instead of the statement that something it is true. Utilizing the Aristotelian invention of syllogism, Aristotle’s logic followed that if the premises for an explanation of a phenomena is valid, as is the form, then the conclusion will be that of scientific truth. While Aristotle erred in his findings in many of the various scientific realms, such as a geocentric versus heliocentric solar system, his scientific application of syllogism gave way to modern scientific empiricism which is the idea that an abstract argument must be supported by factual evidence and for the theory to be judged by a tribunal of observation. Given the numerous advances in technology and the human culture since 350 B.C. and Aristotle’s syllogistic view, it is possible that he could adapt to modern viewpoints by applying means of demonstrations and scientific deduction in tandem with modern knowledge convey what modern science currently holds as true. It is also important to know that science is ever changing,Show MoreRelatedEssay about The Philosopher, Aristotle1173 Words   |  5 Pages The Philosopher, Aristotle The ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle was an amazing individual who possessed a multitude of talents ranging from mastery of rhetoric to interest in physiology. Aristotle lived during the fourth century B.C. in ancient Greece. The culture of the Greeks during this time differs greatly from our present day life and times. 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