Catullus Poem 7 Notes

Question 1

Which poem does this one pick up?

Answer 1

Poem 5

Question 2

What are topoi?

Answer 2

Traditional themes and formulas used in literature

Question 3

What is the effect of the poetic topoi in this poem?

Answer 3

Avoids easy categorisation and varies text to make it original

Question 4

Who does this poem nod to?

Answer 4

Literary predecessors

Question 5

How is the question at the beginning answered?

Answer 5

The poet’s extravagant use of language encourages unwelcome talk on kissing but the answer to the question is in such a description to try and stop that

Question 6

What person dialogue does Catullus engage?

Answer 6

Second

Question 7

What is ‘basiatio’?

Answer 7

An abstract noun formed from concrete noun ‘basium’

Question 8

Why did Catullus lengthen the form ‘basitiones’?

Answer 8

Expresses incessant, exaggerated kissing

Question 9

Why does Catullus put ‘mihi’ and ‘tuae’ around ‘basitiones’?

Answer 9

Suggests intimacy in their relationship

Question 10

Why might Catullus have added ‘superque’ on line 2?

Answer 10

Colloquial tone and adds to alliteration

Question 11

What is a literary topos in this poem?

Answer 11

‘As many as sands on the shore’ and ‘as many as stars in the sky’

Question 12

How does Catullus add originality to the topos?

Answer 12

Specifies sand of Callimachus’ home and details of silphium and tomb of Battus

Question 13

Who was Battus?

Answer 13

Founder of Cyrene and ancestor of Callimachus

Question 14

What is the impact of the extra topos effect on the audience?

Answer 14

Allows learning to occur and spread of knowledge and proves to look at literary effects of poem, not just superficial meaning of ‘sincere’ love

Question 15

What did Cyrene have to do with silphium?

Answer 15

Exported it

Question 16

Why did Rome import silphium?

Answer 16

Medicinal uses

Question 17

How does silphium help medically?

Answer 17

Aid to digestion

Panacea to bites, boils, gout, dropsy, asthma, epilepsy, pleurisy and baldness

Question 18

Why was there a temple in Libya?

Answer 18

The Egyptian god, Ammon, was associated with Zeus/ Juppiter so the temple was built as the centre of the god’s famous oracle

Question 19

What is the effect of the topos of the stars?

Answer 19

Given a personal edge as the stars look down on the illicit loves of men and women (own affair is illicit)

Question 20

What is he trying to say about stars and darkness?

Answer 20

Gives darkness and silence to secret affairs. The more stars, the more lovers

Question 21

What does the stars do about Catullus’ affair?

Answer 21

Widens it into a common experience of mankind only to bring it back to him with ‘vesano… Catullo’

Question 22

Having an accusative like ‘basia’ a similar derivation to the infinitive ‘basiare’ is unusual in Latin. Where is it common?

Answer 22

Greek

Question 23

What is the effect of line 9 ?

Answer 23

Links to ‘basiationes’ on line 1

Question 24

What does ‘satis et super’ link back to?

Answer 24

Line 2

Question 25

What is the effect of linking phrases back?

Answer 25

Closural device

Question 26

What is the effect of switching to the third person with ‘Catullo’ and adding ‘vesano’?

Answer 26

Puts poet outside normal parameters of human experience

Question 27

What does ‘vesano’ mean to Virgil? How does this relate to what Catullus says?

Answer 27

Denotes mad hunger. Love is a desire and a form of madness

Question 28

What is the effect of ‘curiosi’?

Answer 28

Recognition of demand and current standards (of everyone?)

Question 29

What does the word ‘fascinum’ normally mean?

Answer 29

A phallic-shaped thing (penis, dildo or a certain amulet worn around the neck to avert the evil eye)

Question 30

What is the effect of using the word ‘fascinum’?

Answer 30

Bewitch or cast a spell of love upon

Question 31

What is significant about the last word of the poem?

Answer 31

‘Lingua’ links to the theme about kisses and leaves the image with emphatic positioning

Question 32

Is it common style to suggest an infinite number of something?

Answer 32

Yes

Question 33

What are the different interpretations of ‘aestuosi’?

Answer 33

Hot with ladies or physically hot area

Question 34

What else is significant about ‘basiare’?

Answer 34

Frames ‘basiationes’ in line 1

Question 35

What is the effect of line 8?

Answer 35

Romantic feel

Question 36

What could the nosy people be?

Answer 36

The strict old men in poem 5

Question 37

Poem 5 ends with kisses and poem 7 starts with…

Answer 37

Kisses

Question 38

Cyrene is the same as…

Answer 38

Callimachus

Question 39

What about Lesbia allows Catullus to use elitist language?

Answer 39

She is clever enough to understand what the tomb of Battus is etc

Question 40

Why does Catullus include many different places?

Answer 40

Showing off to Lesbia to try and impress her with details that mean something to her

Question 41

Who is Callimachus to Catullus?

Answer 41

His poet hero

Question 42

True/false: Catullus might be whining for effect

Answer 42

True

Question 43

What does the subjunctive ‘sint’ contrast further down?

Answer 43

‘Est’

Question 44

‘Tam’ picks up what?

Answer 44

‘Quam’ further down

Question 45

What does night mean in poem 5? What does it mean in poem 7?

Answer 45

The end but it is an opportunity in poem 7