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Gaius Valerius Catullus |
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| Author | Message | | | Posted on Thu Feb 15, 2007 02:10:15 | |
| | This poem is very interesting. On the surface, Catullus is relieved to return to his family's home. But I believe this poem has a deeper context. Notice the words used as adjectives or apositives to describe Sirmio: notably ocelle in line 2, and venusta in line 12. These words have a certain sexual connotation to them. Ocelle, when used in this sense, usually is applied as a term of endearment for a woman. Venusta is a little more suggestive: apparently derived from the name of the goddess Venus, this word is most often used as a term of sexual attraction.
Also notice the change in numbering of the verbs. In the first 6 lines of the poem, Catullus uses the first person singular, speaking to Sirmio. In lines 9 and 10 however, the numbering changes to first person plural in a phrase that has sexual connotations even in English:
desideratoque acquiescimus lecto
and we find rest in the longed for bed
Whether or not Catullus is intending to express a sexual desire for whomever Sirmio may symbolize is up for debate, but it cannot be denied that he intentionally gave the villa human characteristics and that he cared deeply for Sirmio or whomever the villa represented. | |
| | | Posted at Sun Jan 10, 2010 18:33:54 | Quote |
| | | Quote: | | | | | This poem is very interesting. On the surface, Catullus is relieved to return to his family's home. But I believe this poem has a deeper context. Notice the words used as adjectives or apositives to describe Sirmio: notably ocelle in line 2, and venusta in line 12. These words have a certain sexual connotation to them. Ocelle, when used in this sense, usually is applied as a term of endearment for a woman. Venusta is a little more suggestive: apparently derived from the name of the goddess Venus, this word is most often used as a term of sexual attraction.
Also notice the change in numbering of the verbs. In the first 6 lines of the poem, Catullus uses the first person singular, speaking to Sirmio. In lines 9 and 10 however, the numbering changes to first person plural in a phrase that has sexual connotations even in English:
desideratoque acquiescimus lecto
and we find rest in the longed for bed
Whether or not Catullus is intending to express a sexual desire for whomever Sirmio may symbolize is up for debate, but it cannot be denied that he intentionally gave the villa human characteristics and that he cared deeply for Sirmio or whomever the villa represented. |
I am afarid that your interpretation of the various Latin words is wrong. There is nothing sexual here. Sirmio is certainly personified to some extent, but this is natural enough. The villa represents the villa, nothing else. | |
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