Reviews
Good translation, good titles. I was reading Catullus' Bedspread by Daisy Dunn, but her book is more of a high-level analysis who is already familiar with Catullus and Roman history. She only quoted the poems indirectly, and almost expected the reader to have a very good grasp on the text. Dunn would dive straight into the textual analysis without providing context. I picked up this book because I actually wanted to read Catullus. I had always heard of Catullus (16, of course), but I had never studied Catullus in school. Catullus was the poet I would joke about with my friends or reblog on Tumblr, so it was interesting to see him in an academic context. I liked the autobiographical information on Catullus at the beginning, especially because it was easy to understand. Gaius Valerius Catullus (84- c. 54 BCE) was born in Verona (near Cisalpine Gaul), moved to Rome as an adult, and spent time in Bithynia; he lived during the end of the Roman Republic and witnessed the formation of the Triumvirate and the rise of Caesar. Taking inspiration from Callimachus and Sappho, Catullus wrote in hendecasyllabics, Sapphic stanzas, dactylic hexameter, and elegiac couplets. About Catullus, the editors write, "One need not study classics to appreciate Catullus. Catullus is a poet of tragedy, a poet of wit, a poet of desire, and a poet whose voice cuts to the quick of human experience." Most of all, the poetry of Catullus "recognizes the beautiful pain of erotic desire as an essential condition of humanity and celebrates the unique ability of poetry to press that desire." I love knowing how good poetry can capture the human experience so perfectly and transcend time. In their introduction, Uzzi and Thomson invoked the idea of "persona" by comparing Catullus to Eminem. According to Uzzi and Thomson, both Catullus and Eminem are elite outsiders who are different from others in their artistic circles. In doing so, they create clear boundaries between their artistry and personal mores. For me, it was interesting to read 16 as an ironic commentary rather than taking it at face value. I had a lot of fun categorizing the poems: - Flirty (2 - passer, 5 - basia mille, 6, 7, 13 - sale, 15, 32, 48, 50, 51, 80, 85 - odetamo, 99) - Loss, mostly regarding Lesbia (8, 11, 36, 38, 42, 58, 70, 72, 73, 75, 86, 87, 101 - ave atque vale) - Friendship (9, 68) - Social commentary (10, 17 - about Verona, but tbh I don't understand this poem, 23, 28, 29, 39 - anti-Spain, 49) - Invectives - a.k.a. diss poems (16, 21, 25, 40, 43, 54, 97) - Travel (31) It was interesting to read Catullus' take on epic poetry - the Bedspread Poem, the wedding hymns. Those were hard to understand, but I think I will enjoy analyzing them in college. And of course, 13 will always, always have a special place in my heart.
Excellent translation and commentary!
