Catullus Poem 5 Notes

Question 1

What is the tone of this poem?

Answer 1

Deceptive sophistication

Question 2

What does the first line suggest?

Answer 2

Living is the equivalent to loving

Question 3

Which word do the two verbs in line 1 frame?

Answer 3

Lesbia

Question 4

Which themes are displayed here?

Answer 4

Life and death

Love and contempt (over strict old men)

Question 5

What types of verbs are used in the second half of the poem?

Answer 5

Imperatives

Question 6

What do the repeated numbers suggest?

Answer 6

A mathematical sum is being aimed at (builds up attitude of exactitude) only to find a confusion of figures

Question 7

What are the polarities created?

Answer 7

Life vs death
Light vs dark
Young vs old
Counting vs muddling

Question 8

What is the effect of the polarities?

Answer 8

Expression of love set against dark background of threats

Question 9

How is the love shown?

Answer 9

Frequent use of first person pronouns not endorsed elsewhere

Question 10

What is line one framed by?

Answer 10

Two iussive subjunctives

Question 11

What is the tone in lines 2-3?

Answer 11

Rebellious against older generation

Question 12

What techniques are in lines 2-3?

Answer 12

Juxtaposition of ‘omnes unius’

Hissing sibilants

Question 13

What is an as?

Answer 13

The smallest Roman coin weighing a pound but was equivalent to a penny in English

Question 14

What does the use of the sun pick up?

Answer 14

‘Vivamus’ the sun dies and returns everyday but we cannot. Motif of life

Question 15

What is the impact of linking the sun to ‘vivamus’?

Answer 15

Makes it into an argument to make the most of time available

Question 16

How is the contrast of light and night shown?

Answer 16

Line break. Words similar in appearance but on different lines like dead and living

Question 17

What is at the end of line 5 and on line 6?

Answer 17

A series of monosyllables and line six starts with monosyllables and then broadens into long phrase evocative of eternity of death

Question 18

Where is there elision on lines5-6?

Answer 18

‘Perpetua una’

Question 19

Why does Catullus list the number of kisses?

Answer 19

To show verbally the long sequence of kisses. Leads reader to thoughtful calculation only to prove it false in line 11

Question 20

What is there repetition of in lines 7-9?

Answer 20

‘Dein(de)’

Question 21

What are possible reasons why Catullus does not specify importance of knowing total kisses?

Answer 21

Not wanting to ‘count their chickens’ according to Quinn or need to hide from older generation how much has gone on

Question 22

What does ‘invidere’ primarily mean?

Answer 22

Cast an evil eye upon

Question 23

What does the poem end with? Why?

Answer 23

The striking word ‘basiorum’. Leaves reader with image of physical affection as net result of argument and then calculation

Question 24

What type of adjective is used line 2?

Answer 24

Comparative - links to line 2 poem 3

Question 25

Why might he be talking a lot about the loving process?

Answer 25

Loving keeps him living

Question 26

What could the muddling represent?

Answer 26

Messing up the relationship

Question 27

What is the ‘gossip’?

Answer 27

The fact Lesbia is already married and is having an affair

Question 28

What is the purpose of making ‘Lesbia’ the centre of the line?

Answer 28

To show she is the centre of his heart

Question 29

Where is there juxtaposition?

Answer 29

‘Lux’ and ‘nox’ and ‘perpetua’ and ‘brevis’. Light and dark and short and eternal

Question 30

What is the effect of repetitive ‘a’ sounds on line 6?

Answer 30

The idea of ongoing

Question 31

What is the effect of ‘d’ sounds?

Answer 31

Creates pace and represents him frantically kissing her and sound of him kissing her.

Question 32

What does ‘ne quis’ mean?

Answer 32

No person

Question 33

What was the context behind ‘evil eye’?

Answer 33

If you knew the exact numbers about individuals, you could curse them with that number. Sacred to just Catullus