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1 2 2b 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 14b 15 16 17 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41
42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51
52 53 54 55 56 57 58 58b 59 60
61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70
71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 78b 79
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99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108
109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116
 

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Main  ::  Translations - all  ::  Interpretations of 31 (Carmen 31)

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AuthorMessage
Guest
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.
Cambrinus
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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