Catullus Poetry Analysis

For starters, “Carmen 5” is an amorous poem Catullus wrote directed at his forbidden lover, Lesbia. Catullus insists they should disregard the rumors of old men, because while the sun is able to return, they only have one life to seize. Therefore, Catullus demands hundreds and thousands of kisses in a jumbled up manner from Lesbia, so their ardent passion cannot ever be cursed by the wicked ones. The strategic placement of the words let us live and let us love literally place Lesbia as the central focus of the work. In the original Latin text, the opening line reads as, “vivamus, mea Lesbia, atque amemus,” which the “words vivamus and amemus enclose “Lesbia” and thus point to her as the center of the poet’s life and love” (Fredricksmeyer 436). It suggests Catullus viewed Lesbia as much more than an erotic, love poem topic. Evidently, the poem is enhanced through Catullus placing “the best words in the best possible order,” because the main subject of the poem is intentionally given significant importance.

Richard Blanco is a Cuban- American poet who was given the oppurunity to write an inaugaration poem for Barack Obama's second swearing-in. He wrote a poem titled "One Today" that praised the good and unique things about the United States and also the everyday people who's daily routines help to make America the proud country that it is.

Frost further points out that the stretch of woods being viewed is very rural. This is made possible by the reference to the location between the woods and frozen lake. In closing the final sentence of the second stanza Frost reiterates the fact that this occurs on “the darkest evening of the year” stating the darkness of the mood.

Lorna Dee Cervantes' poem, “Poema para los Californios Muertos” (“Poem for the Dead Californios”), is a commentary on what happened to the original inhabitants of California when California was still Mexico, and an address to the speaker's dead ancestors. Utilizing a unique dynamic, consistently alternating between Spanish and English, Cervantes accurately represents the fear, hatred, and humility experienced by the “Californios” through rhythm, arrangement, tone, and most importantly, through use of language.

In “Conte” by Marilyn Hacker, Cinderella shows the reader a glimpse of her life after the childhood tale ends, a less happier ending than the original story implies. She feels trapped in a constant state of misery and boredom in the royal palace. Without life experience guiding her, Cinderella is in a dilemma caused by her ignorance of the potential consequences of her actions. With the use of irony, structure, and diction, “Conte” shows how innocence and naïveté result in regrettable mistakes that create life experience.

Poem 64 is one of Catullus most ambitious and complex works. The mini-epic comprises of 408 lines, making it the longest poem of all Catullus works. The poem is written in the dactylic hexameter, the traditional meter of epic poetry. The poem is further told through ekphrasis an ancient doctrine denoting any poetic or rhetorical description, including descriptions of landscape, buildings, battles, and storms.

Theme Catullus’ poetry is based on his rocky affair with a women named Clodia. Clodia was married to a high ranking Roman politician. In the poem “Wretched Catullus, Leave off Playing the Fool,” the pain of being love torn in can be felt. How much you loved her!

Catullus was not afraid of what he had to say in his poems. His expression could take very questionable routes, but he never seemed uncomfortable doing so. When he was partaking in describing one’s purity, he was not scared of making the comparison of an anal cavity to that of a salt cellar. This uncensored projection displays many ideas on Catullus’s character and his care for societal blockage. Firstly, it shows that he is willing to come out and say the exact thoughts in his head rather than change it to suit the sensitivities of society. Such

Catullus 70 is Catullus questioning his relationship with Cloudia. The poem begins by Catullus calling his lover “mulier,” the latin word for a married women. Catullus says that this “married women” would marry no other than him. Calling his lover a married woman sets up a tension that Catullus carries throughout the poem. His lover tells him that she would rather be with him than anyone, but Catullus’ specific example of who she would choose him over is Jupiter.

But now he really knows Lesbia and he can no longer view her with affection even though he desires her more strongly. “Catullum” is juxtaposed with “Lesbia” and both of these names are at the end of a line further emphasizing them. Later in the poem his esteem, “dilexi” is contrasted with his friendless intention “bene velle minus.” Poem 72 generally creates a strong contrast between Catullus’s sincere love and his hatred towards Lesbia.

Poetry is a reduced dialect that communicates complex emotions. To comprehend the numerous implications of a ballad, perusers must analyze its words and expressing from the points of view of beat, sound, pictures, clear importance, and suggested meaning. Perusers then need to sort out reactions to the verse into a consistent, point-by-point clarification. Poetry utilizes structures and traditions to propose differential translation to words, or to summon emotive reactions. Gadgets, for example, sound similarity, similar sounding word usage, likeness in sound and cadence are at times used to accomplish musical or incantatory impacts.

“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” declared by an influential leader Martin Luther King Jr. As a soldier againsts unfairness, King strongly states that people should fight for freedom. Driven by human nature, humans are always chasing freedom. In “A Century Later,” the Pakistan-born British poet Imtiaz Dharker uses the poetic devices of symbolism, diction, and allusion to explore how perseverance drives freedom.

Then, when the Achaeans start loosing, Athena and Hera harness Heras’ chariot and put on their armor. When they get Zeus’ approval to aid the Acheans, they fly to the battlefield, and Hera gives courage to the Achaean forces.Athena flies to Diomedes to remind him that she will protect him and that there should be no reason to be afraid, in fact, she criticizes him. Diomedes replies that Ares is dominating the battle resulting Athena to get into Diomedes chariot to attack Ares. With Athena’s help, Diomedes spears Ares; In a panic, Ares flies away. The gods constantly intervene in the war, and to some extent, the tides of war can be measured by a gods intervention. Usually, when a god arrives, it changes the outcome on the battlefield, as soldiers will are given new courage. With Athena’s help, Diomedes’ glory reaches its peak as he spears the god of war himself. The passage is interesting because it suggests the relationship between free will and divinity in the poem. Diomedes deemed a strong fighter, and yet he's dependent upon the gods for support. He not a free agent: instead, he needs the help of gods and goddesses. In this way, the passage reinforces why religion and divine worship are so important in the poem: without the gods maneuvering them, the characters couldn't accomplish much.

This poem is written in the form of a rhetorical, persuasive, legalistic plea made on the behalf a leopard that has been displaced from its natural habitat and placed in the confines of a “cage” or confines of civilization. This poem through its use of the symbolism and metaphors the of civilization and the leopard explores the relationship between an imperialistic western colonial power and its colonies as being exploitative, hypocritical and structural.

Some of the poems and essays I have read during this class were relatable to me. Being away from college, I have struggled with not being at home. I have become a different person when I am at school, but when I am home, I feel like I am my normal self again. Some of these authors of the poems and essays that I have read throughout this class has struggled with being somewhere where they don’t belong and that they are someone else when they are not home. Unlike the other poems and essays we have read throughout the course. I enjoyed reading the ones about “home” because I actually understood what they are going through and that I can relate. Some of these poems and essays include “Going Home” by Maurice Kenny, Postcard from Kashmir”, by Agha Shahid Ali, “Returning” by Elias Miguel Munoz and “Hometown” by Luis Cabalquinto. All of these poems deal with duality.