Catullus Poem 107 Notes Flashcards
What has Lesbia done in this poem?
Returned to the poet’s embrace
What is the tone of the poem?
Excitement
How is the excitement shown?
Lots of repetition and 8 elisions and a bumpy metre in line 5 and 7
What does line 1 contain?
A hiatus at the caesura
What restored the metre in line 1?
‘Que’ after ‘cupido’
How is ‘cupidoque optantique’ not tautologous?
‘Opto’ is weaker and acts just like a wish while ‘cupido’ suggests strong desire
What is there assonance of in line 1?
‘O’
How is ‘insperanti’ emphasised?
Enjambment and being at the beginning of the line
What does ‘proprie’ mean here?
‘In the real sense of the word’
What phrase is repeated?
Hoc est gratum
What is the problem with line 3? How is it amended?
Depends on the punctuation after quoque. Make it ‘que est’
‘Cupido’ in line 4 picks up what?
‘Cupido’ in line 1
What else is repeated again?
‘Restituis’ and ‘insperanti’
What is the rhythm like in line 5?
Uneven as the final monosyllable forces extra stress into the last syllable like line 7
What is the effect of ‘te nobis’?
Closeness of words shows closeness of poet and his beloved
What is the effect of ‘te nobis’ being separated over the line?
Shows the distance that existed up until now
What is the context behind the whiter mark?
The Cretans used to drop a white stone into their quivers to mark a happy day and a black stone to mark an unhappy day
What is the couplet framed by at the end?
‘Quis… quis’
What is the closural technique?
Repetition of ‘optandas’
What is the impact of ‘optandas’ being a subjunctive?
Gerundive of obligation. Obligation to want this life
Where else is there enjambment?
‘Nobis’ on line 6
‘Nobisque’ is…
Royal ‘we’
In line 1, there is repetition of which sound?
‘Opt’
