Latin Poetry

Here you can discuss all things Latin. Use this board to ask questions about grammar, discuss learning strategies, get help with a difficult passage of Latin, and more.
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ieatsmallanimal
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Latin Poetry

Post by ieatsmallanimal »

Hi. I've had a basic grounding in Latin grammar and prose translation. I'm basically on my own to continue my education in the field now, though, and I'm looking for resources to learn about Latin poetry. I looked over the books textkit has available for download, and none of them really seem to touch on meter. If anyone can recommend any textbooks for me to pursue my studies, I'll be grateful...and, uhh, stuff.

Kasper
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Post by Kasper »

just curious - what stuff would you be?
“Cum ego verbo utar,” Humpty Dumpty dixit voce contempta, “indicat illud quod optem – nec plus nec minus.”
“Est tamen rogatio” dixit Alice, “an efficere verba tot res indicare possis.”
“Rogatio est, “Humpty Dumpty responsit, “quae fiat magister – id cunctum est.”

chad
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Post by chad »

apart from learning about the basics of meter--and u can get those from a book like "latin meter" by raven (or somebody)--the best thing to do is get a student's version of catullus (one of the easiest poets) and read the "meter" appendix or introduction. you have to work it out for yourself in the actual poems though.

i've got here at work something i'm putting together for horace's odes: first of all, how to pronounce it properly, and then, a simplification of the word order. if u can't find anything mroe useful on the net, looking at this might help u learn about how there's a regular dominating pattern in latin poetry, and it completely conditions the word order and vocab the poets choose. here's the first 15 or so lines: capitals mean that the syllable is accented, and a ~ means to lengthen the preceding syllable (pronounce it twice as long in time). the actual ode (book 1 ode 1) you can get from the perseus website (www.perseus.tufts.edu).

1. migh ~ KEH ~ nah ~ SAH tah wee ~ SEH ~ dee teh REH ~ gee boohsss ~

2. OH ~ eht ~ prrrigh ~ SEE dee eht ~ DUL ~ keh DEH koohsss ~ MEH oohng ~

3. SOONT ~ quohsss ~ koo ~ REE koo loh ~ POOL ~ weh rrroh LOOM ~ pee koohng ~

4. KOH ~ leh ~ GEEHSSS ~ say YOO waht ~ MEH ~ tah queh FEHRRR ~ wee deehsss ~

5. EH ~ wee ~ TAH ~ tah RRROH teehsss ~ PAHL ~ mah queh NOH ~ bee leehsss ~

6. teh ~ RRRAH ~ roohng ~ DOH mee noh ~ SEH ~ weh hee tah ~ DEH ohsss ~

7. HOONGK ~ see ~ moh ~ BEE lee oohng ~ TOORRR ~ bah quee REE ~ tee oohng ~

8. KEHRRR ~ taht ~ tehrrr ~ GEH mee neehsss ~ TOHL ~ leh rrroh NOH ~ rrree boohsss ~

9. EEL ~ loohng ~ see ~ PRRROH prrree oh ~ KOHN ~ dee deeht HOH ~ rrreh oh ~

10. QUEED ~ queed ~ deh ~ LEE bü keehsss ~ WEH ~ rrree too RRRAH ~ rrreh eehsss ~

11. gau ~ DEHN ~ tehng ~ PAH trrree ohsss ~ FEEN ~ deh rrreh SAHRRR ~ koo loh ~

12. AHG ~ rrroh ~ sah ~ TAH lee keehsss ~ KOHN ~ dee kee OH ~ nee boohsss ~

13. NOOHNG ~ quahng ~ dee ~ MOH wee ah ~ suht ~ TRRRAH beh KÜ ~ prrree ah ~

14. mürrr ~ TOH ~ oohng ~ PAH wee doohsss ~ NAU ~ tah SEH keht ~ MAH rrreh ~

15. loohk ~ TAHN ~ tee ~ KAH rrree eehs ~ FLOOHK ~ tee booh SAH ~ frrree koohng ~


and then here's how i've tried to simplify horace's poem, putting it into a more natural prose word-order. just the first few lines:

o maecenas, edite regibus atavis, et praesidium et meum dulce decus,

(a) iuvat quos collegisse (acc + inf) Olympicum pulverem (curriculo),

(amplification of (a): hangs off quos, not off iuvat) meta (evitata fervidis rotis) palmaque evehit (singular agreeing with the closer palma, even though 2 subjects here) [illos] ad deos, [ad] dominos terrarum [dominos in apposition to deos].

(b) iuvat hunc si turba mobilium Quiritium certat tollere [hunc] tergeminis honoribus (the 3 top magistracies in Rome)

(c) iuvat illum si condidit (proprio horreo) quidquid verritur de Libycis areis.

nunquam demoveas (Attalicis condicionibus) [i.e., "even with the most favourable terms and conditions"] ut secet Myrtoum mare (Cypria trabe)--pavidus nauta--gaudentem [i.e. "he who is happy"] findere patrios agros (sarculo).

mercator, metuens Africum (luctantem Icariis fluctibus) [i.e. the winds struggle with the currents], laudat otium et oppidi sui rura; mox reficit quassas rates, indocilis pati pauperiem.

qui est spernit nec pocula veteris Massici, nec demere partem de solido die (nunc stratus membra (a) sub viridi arbuto, nunc (b) ad lene caput sacrae aquae).


i'd recommend u start with catullus tho: he's easier: but i don't have anything here helpful for him sorry. good luck w/ it :)

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