Reading Catullus / John Godwin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Godwin, John, 1955-

Series:

Greece and Rome live

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Catullus, Gaius Valerius--Criticism and interpretation.

Catullus, Gaius Valerius.

Criticism and interpretation.

Physical Description:

xii, 138 pages ; 22 cm.

Place of Publication:

Exeter, Devon : Bristol Phoenix Press, 2008.

Summary:

Of all the Roman poets Catullus is the most accessible to the modern reader. His poems range from the sublimely beautiful to the scatologically disgusting, and from the world of heroic epic poetry to the dirt of the Roman streets.

This introductory book, which assumes no prior knowledge of Roman poetry, explores Catullus in all his many guises. In six concise chapters John Godwin deals with the cultural background to Catullus' poetic production, its literary context, the role of love, Alexandrian learning and the ancient tradition of obscenity and, in the final chapter, he considers the coherence and rationale of the collection as a whole.

The book includes a useful timeline and a guide to further reading. Each chapter is illustrated by readings from the poems chosen to give a representative overview of Catullus' poetry. All Latin is translated.

Contents:

Timeline of events and authors mentioned xi

1 A writer's world 1

2 The poet at work 17

3 The life of love 45

4 Doctus poeta - the uses of learning 77

5 Obscenity and humour 93

6 First and last things 116.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [127]-131) and indexes.

ISBN:

1904675646

9781904675648

1904675638

9781904675631

OCLC:

234240090