The Student's Catullus

Front Cover
University of Oklahoma Press, 1995 - Poetry - 228 pages
"The Student's Catullus places its emphasis on understanding the original Latin text rather than merely translating it into English. A complete Latin-English vocabulary explains the meaning of Catullus' words; notes to each poem illuminate the meaning of his language, with explanations of word choice, word order, sound effects, and metric artistry. Historical and literary allusions are also explained, with the result that students enter deeper into the poet's world than the best English translation can suggest. The Student's Catullus makes it clear why we still read Catullus in Latin." "Written to become the standard college textbook as well as a comprehensive reference, the book includes a brief introduction setting forth the known facts about the poet's life and the character of his poems, a fresh recension of all 113 poems, and a commentary in English on each poem, explaining difficult points of Latin, features of Catullus' artistry, and background information. Additional aids to the reader are a Who's Who of the most important people in Catullus' poems, an introduction to Catullan meters, a glossary of literary terms used in the commentary, a complete Catullan vocabulary, and six maps."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

About the author (1995)

Thought to have been born in or near Verona, Italy, in 84 B.C., Gaius Valerius Catullus came from significant wealth and connections. Motivated by his older brother, Catullus started writing poetry as a young boy. The genuine extant works of Catullus consists of 113 poems on a variety of subjects composed in different styles and meters. Catullus was capable of writing some of the most polished and enchanting poems. His relationship with a married woman was interwoven in many of his love poems with the creation of a character named Lesbia. Nowadays, Catullus's love poetry is considered among the best and most influential. Catullus's poems were widely appreciated by other poets. He greatly influenced poets such as Ovid, Horace, and Virgil. After his rediscovery in the late Middle Ages, Catullus again found admirers. His explicit writing style has shocked many readers. Catullus probably died in 54 B.C. at the age of 30.

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