Elegiac poems

Elegiac poems Epigram: any pithy, pointed concise saying. An epigram is often antithetical as, "Man proposes but God disposes." Originally in ancient Greece, an epigram meant an inscription, especially an epitaph. Then it came to mean a short poem summing up, perhaps suggesting that the poem was to imitate an inscription by stating briefly what is to be made permanently memorable. Hence the epigram was characterized by compression, pointedness, clarity, balance, and polish. (Edited from Holman's handbook to Literature.) In Alexandrian times the epigram usually was inspired by a single event, real or fiction, great (such as a hero's death) or trivial (such as the death of a pet grasshopper). Also, in the Alexandrian times real inscriptions were written in the form of epigram, but the epigram included many types of personal, emotional, fictitious or real poems written in a brief form, often with an antithetical and/or surprise ending.It is often written in the form of a short elegy. Catullus is one of the first to use the quip as an ending and silver age poets make this standard for later poets.

65-68? with the long poems

C. 69: This poem is similar to 71 in attacking a rival (here Rufus=M. Caelius Rufus?) for his unfortunate goat smelling B.O.
C. 70: Here we have a typical elegiac poem:economy of words=concise statement with word order and elisions and sounds being carefully worked out to add another dimension to the poetry. It has the same basic themes as many of the other epigrams. It has the same style of thesis and antithesis, often with an ironic/sarcastic/occasionally witty twist at the end of the poem. Note in the last line of this poem the contrast which changes the direction of the theme of the poem with a particularly polished punch line: note elisions and repetitive s's and r's, also the juxtaposition of mulier and cupido, and note the rapid sound blended with sounds of water and winds.
C. 71: Poem 71 is an example of invective poetry enhanced by a witty twist at the end. similar to the theme of 69, but slightly more hateful and obscene. Given the description of the malady, one can only see Rufus as the object of scorn here. Note the elision of the last line.
C. 72: odi et amo theme of 70 is picked up again. Beautifully concise expression of his love/hate relationship which reaches the ultimate in the odi et amo poem. Note juxtaposition of lines 1 and 2; elisions of 5; recognition of line five and reversal; balanced arrangement of love and hate, not passionately stated as in some poems, but explained in an almost ironic and certainly calculating way.
C. 73: A poem of ingratitude vs a rival, much like the poems vs Caelius; Also poem 30 vs Alfenus. Note the overdone elisions of the final line.
C. 74: Obscene poem vs Gellius (74, 88-89, and 116 comprise the Gellius cycle). His sexual perversion are depicted in their grossness. Gellius is probably L. Gellius Poplicola a friend of Clodius.
C. 75: Acompanion piece to 72? Odi et amo theme. Note the chiasmus and synchysis of line 1; elisions of line 2; What is the force of monosyllables in line 3? Note also the ironic elisions lof line 4.
C. 76: One of Catullus' finest poems. Catullus has a series of poems which restate the "odi et amo" theme. Here is the expanded version which displays Catullus' artistic and expressive genius at their best.
Structure (from Quinn):
1-8: Catullus' consoles himself in that he acted "piously" and has done as well as said everything he could to make the relationship right. The lines progress from a general statement to the specific situation.
9-16: all the effort has been in vain, "obdura."
17-22: prayer to the Gods for help.
23-26: prayer is made specific--all I am asking for is to be free of the malady of love.
You may wish to consider:
L. 1--uoluptas: the choice of this particular word and the general placement of words from Siqua-homini.
L. 2--pium: what does Catullus mean by this word? Is there any contrast between uoluptas and pium?
L. 3--the chiastic juxtaposition of fidem and foedere; the double negative. L. 4--the elisions of the line.
Ls. 5 and 6: elision of longa aetate; word order of the two verses, especially the placement of gaudia(juxtaposition and synchysis).
Ls. 7 and 8: use of quaecumque and cuiquam; repetition of dico and facere and centering of haec a te=dicere possunt/aut facere, haec a te dictaque factaque sunt.
Ls. 9 and 10--chiasmus? and synchysis omnia...ingratae...credita...menti; heavy spondees and monosyllables for first half of l. 10 and the hiatus between iam & amplius.
Ls. 11 and 12--the opening elisions; meaning of dis inuitiis=1) stop being miserable with the gods being unwilling for you to be miserable/ 2) stop being miserable with the gods unwilling for reconciliation? other?
Ls. 13 and 14--the anaphora; ironic elision of deponere amorem.
Ls. 15 and 16--how many devices does he employ for emphasis? (How about anaphora, passive periphrastic, repetition siue non pote siue pote, 4 demonstratives in the two verses, parallelism?)
Ls. 17 and 18--elisions uesrtum est misereri aut; pred. gen = uestrum; choice and placement of words, especially extremam.....opem
Ls. 19 and 20--elisions throughout the two verses; alliteration (ironic?) puriter picked up by pestem perniciemque with mihi juxtaposed.
Ls. 21 and 22--synchysis=subrepens imos ut torpor in artus; emphatic ex- ex with laetitias following and therefore outside of omni pectore?
Ls. 23 and 24--ironic use and/or placement of contra?
Ls. 25 and 26-- elisions; assonance; di.......mea(ending the poem).
C. 77:Rufus = Caelius Rufus? How could this poem possibly fit into Catullus' biography? Note: elision credite amice, L. 1; "o" sounds L.2; s alliteration L. 3; elisions of L. 5; surrounding order of nostrae uitae and nostrae amicitiae in Ls. 5 and 6.
C. 79: Famous poem which seems to identify Lesbia, and states the unusual intimacy (also mentioned by Cicero) between Lesbia/Clodia and Lesbius/Clodius.
C. 82: Mild invective vs Quintius, an apparent rival for the affections of someone. Paralellism with antithetical elements= true epigram.
C. 83: elision line 3; epigrammatic form.
C. 84: An extended joke about Arrius, probably the orator Q. Arrius mentioned by Cicero in brief but not very flattering terms(poor man of humble origins and self made orator). His speech could either be an affectation meant to imitate the aspirate sound retained in urban Latin or to imitate a country pronunciation.
C 85: The famous poem of antithesis. Philosophical self analysis; 8 verbs in two lines; balance.
C. 86: Quintia's beauty set over against the beauty of Lesbia. What differentiates them? Note the balanced antitheses.
C. 87: Statement of Catullus' love. Elisions of lines 2 and 4.
C. 92: Lover's quarrels as a sign of love. Note the balanced antithesis of the epigram.
C. 93: Catullus' terse odi et odi statement to Caesar.
C. 95: A poem written in praise of the Smyrna of Cinna, written in the neoteric style similar to Catullus' 64 on Peleus and Thetis. It is polished and will stand the test of time.
C. 101: Famous poem written on Catullus' visit to his brother's grave. It is generally speculated that Catullus' visited his brother's grave in the Troad of Asia Minor during his tour of duty in Bithynia. Anaphora; anastrophe; elision (L. 5).
C. 104: Poem of the inconsistencies of love. The meaning is controversial. It is not clear how Catullus expects the reader to interpret the last two lines. After a clear staement of I could not speak ill of you, the third line = If I could have spoken ill of you, this love would not have been so disastrous for me. Forsyth suggests that the poem is written as a rebuke to Quinius and Caelius who have misinterpreted Catullus' feelings towards Lesbia and therefore this line siply means, I could not speak ill of someone whom I love so desperately. Or is the nec potui, nec.. all sarcastic as if to say I couldn' speak ill of if I loved you, but since I don't, I do. Line 4 is to Forsyth straight forwardly addressing the two men, but you with your clown friend (Tappo= the stock name of a clown in farce) are making mountains out of molehills. Others see tu as Lesbia and Tappo as any Tom, Dick, or Harry and omnia monstra as having sexual overtones.
C.107: A poem of reconciliation and joy. Note particularly the diction and the elisions, and the tension created by antithetical words.
C. 109: Another poem of bonding and unity, perhaps of reconciliation. The word order, assonance, balance, assonance, alliterastion, elision, and synchysis. Note also the attempts to define a love relationship which transcends the physical. Remember Catullus' attempts to define his pious love vs physical love?