Aeneidos: Liber QuintusThe fifth book of the Aeneid is outshone in brillance by the books before and after it, but it is indispensable to both. In the structure of the poem it makes possible the progression from the tragic events of Book IV to the mystery and majesty of Book VI ; it interposes a different kind of scenery between the conquest of two mountain summits. Here we see the skill with which Virgil handles his transitions of tone and intensity, for in the course of Book V the tension is gradually released and gradually built up again. We see too the skill with which the intensity is changed without any change in the major themes of the poem as it moves ; the scenery is different but entirely harmonious. A careful reading of Book IV, V, and VI will do much to illuminate how a great epic poet builds up his structure in such a way that his poem will not fall apart, a fate which often overtakes the lesser epics. -- Preface. |
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Acestes adjective Aeneas Aeneid aequore aëre alliteration Anchises athletic atque Austin on Aen Book caelo caestus caesura clause common Compare Aen contest conveys dactylic dative Day Lewis deinde Dido effect elision ending Ennius Entellus epithet Eryx fourth foot genitive Greek haec Hexameter Homer iamque imitation instances Intro ipse Latin Hexameter Verse Latin Language Livy Lucr Lucretius Mackail Marouzeau meaning metonymy metrical mihi Misenus Mnestheus narrative Neptune nequiquam Nisus Norden Norden's Aeneid noun nunc occurs omnis Ovid Palinurus passage pater pause perhaps phrase poem poetic plural poetry poets postposition prize prose quae quam remis repetition rhythm Roman Salius sense sentence Sergestus Servius Servius auct Servius says ship-race ships Sicily spondaic spondees Stat Statius stylistique latine syllable Traité de stylistique Trojans Turnus usage Venus verb Virgil Winbolt word