Once again I bring my Latin angst to LJ

[celzmccelz]

Guys. I want to cuddle Catullus. Even though he probably has STDs.

Here's why.

Catullus 51 is a loose translation of Sappho 31. And my first reaction to reading them together is, WOW CATULLUS, YOU TOOK AN AWESOME POEM AND MADE IT SUCK. Because Sappho's poem is so charged and erotic and passionate, and Catullus takes it and tones it way the fuck down

Comments

[snusmumeriken]

:(
You and me both sympathise far too much with ancient long-dead people. Myself occasionally with fictional.

[snusmumeriken]

...but what comforts me is thinking that perhaps it matters, that it's somehow right that we care, even after all these years...
(yes, it's late-night sentimental time, kids)

[celzmccelz]

Yes, I think it does matter. Or that's what I tell myself, at least.

LOL now I'm off to translate Homer and cry at Hector's funeral.

[snusmumeriken]

Hector's funeral! D:
nooooooooooooooooooooooooo
You just made me sad for the day, but the return of his body is what really gets me. :(

[sineala]

*stalks you via comments left in other journals*

I really like this reading of it.

Somehow I came to the conclusion that -- okay, I don't know if this makes any sense, or if you've even seen the movie -- that Catullus is like Arthur in Velvet Goldmine. All his heroes are the beautiful fashionably-bisexual pretty boys of glam rock, and he's just trying so *hard* to be like them, and it only comes out awkward and wrong and fake and he's wearing, like, his grandmother's earrings when he tries to dress up. (The Iuventius poems? So not even real emotion. Sorry, dude, that ain't no "fieri sentio et excrucior.") And then eventually his sense of masculinity can't deal with it and he has to go wear real suits and have a drab depressing job.

Yeah? No? No, huh? *slinks away*

[celzmccelz]

OH MY GOD. YES. THAT IS CATULLUS.

[celzmccelz]

In fact this is pretty much exactly what I said in the essay about Catullus 51 that I just turned in, except without the Velvet Goldmine reference. Man, I need to watch that movie again.

I feel like Catullus is just like profoundly lost and uncomfortable with himself on so many levels. But it's really hard for me to maintain sympathy for him because he's all PEDICABO EGO VOS ET IRRUMABO, LOL NOW I WILL WRITE POEMS ABOUT PEOPLE I DON'T LIKE FACE-FUCKING THEIR UNCLES.

And I kind of go O_O

[sineala]

I'm just sorry I didn't mention it earlier so your essay could have been EVEN BETTER. Unless your prof doesn't like Velvet Goldmine.

Awww, he's only writing it because he feels bad about himself! Give the guy a chance!