Carpe diem : the poetics of presence in Greek and Latin literature / Robert A. Rohland.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Rohland, Robert A., author.

Series:

Cambridge classical studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Horace--Criticism and interpretation.

Horace.

Classical poetry--History and criticism.

Classical poetry.

Classical poetry--Themes, motives.

Pleasure in literature.

Time in literature.

Genre:

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Physical Description:

xviii, 299 pages: illustrations (some color), music ; 23 cm

Other Title:

Poetics of presence in Greek and Latin literature

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, United Kingdom : Cambridge University Press, 2023.

Summary:

"Carpe diem - "eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die!" - is a prominent motif throughout ancient literature and beyond. This is the first book-length examination of its significance and demonstrates that close analysis can make a key contribution to a question that is central to literary studies in and beyond Classics: how can poetry give us the almost magical impression that something is happening here and now? In attempting an answer, Robert A. Rohland gives equal attention to Greek and Latin texts, as he offers new interpretations of well-known poems from Horace and tackles understudied epigrams. Pairing close readings of ancient texts with interpretations of other forms of cultural production such as gems, cups, calendars, monuments, and Roman wine labels, this interdisciplinary study transforms our understanding of the motif of carpe diem"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction : In search of present time

The archaeology of Carpe diem : Sardanapallus, monuments, epigrams, and false beginnings

A moveable feast : wine storage places as drinkable calendars in Horace

Gathering leaves : Horace, choice of words, cyclical time, and the production of presence

The pleasure of images : epigrams and objects 100 BC-AD 100

As is the generation of leaves, so are the generations of cows, mice, and gigolos ... : excerpe diem!, or, excerpts of "Carpe diem'

Epilogue : echoes of Carpe diem.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 239-281) and indexes.

Other Format:

ebook version :

ISBN:

9781316510827

1316510824

9781009018555

1009018558

OCLC:

1314263600