Catullus Poem 3 Notes Flashcards
What type of poem is this?
A lament
What is the metre of the poem?
Hendecasyllabics
Who does Catullus invoke in the opening?
Plural goddesses of love
Who are the plural goddesses of love?
Aphrodite Uranios amd Aphrodite Pandemos each with attendant Cupid
Which word suggests a mock solemnity? Why?
‘Venustiorum’
Could mean ‘men of Venus’ or ‘men of charm’ but placed for emphasis at end of second line after we thought it would just be a ‘gods and men’ phrase
What is repeated on lines 3-4?
‘Passer… meae puellae’
What is the effect of the repetition on lines 3-4?
Fittingly incantatory dirge-like effect
Which phrases does Catullus use that are often used to describe a human lover?
‘Deliciae’ often meant ‘mistress’, ‘dearer than eyes’, ‘honey sweet’
Which word is used for ‘mistress’ in line 7?
Ipsa
What does ‘ipsa’ suggest about the love?
Filial- links to ‘not as a mob loves a girlfriend but as a father loves his sons and sons in law’
Give examples that suggest the sounds and movements of the bird
‘Modo huc modo illuc’ repetition and chiasmus?
‘Pipiabat’ is onomatopoeic of chirping
What is the effect of ‘now’?
Brings back to present after cheerful reminiscence of past
What other features of lines 11-12 can be seen?
Sound effects ‘it per iter’, long adjective ‘tenebricosum’ and topos of ‘unde negant redire quemquam’
What is the effect of lines 11-12?
Sound parodistic and is sincere expression of poet’s love which allows him to share her grief and have un-Roman sentimentality without embarrassment
What is significant about the verb ‘it’?
Unfortunate. Do not expect image of bird hopping down path to death
Who does the ‘you’ address?
Orcus
Where is repetition in line 14?
‘Male… malae’ and ‘tenebrae… tenebricosum’
Which word is repeated on lines 14-15?
‘Bella… bellum’
What concludes lines 14-15?
Parallel verbs
What created a hiatus in the middle of line 16?
M sounds
What is finally revealed at the end?
It is not the death of the sparrow or its suffering that causes grief but the grief of his girlfriend
What diminutives are used in the last line?
‘Turgiduli… ocelli’
What sound is prominent in the last line?
L sounds
What is the contrast at the end of the poem?
His sentimentality over the bird is genuine and insincere. He is moved with grief but not for the bird
