Latin- Catullus Poem 50 line by line analysis

hesterno, Licini, die otiosi (line 1)

· 'hesterno... die'- grand vocabulary (rather than 'heri') to draw attention

· 'Licini'- apostrophe (direct address) & use of Calvus' middle name shows familiarity and highlights their close relationship

multum lusimus in meis tabellis, (line 2)

· 'multum'- emphatic placement at beginning of line to emphasise how much fun they had together

· 'tabellis'- diminutive to highlight the frivolity of their time together

scribens versiculos uterque nostrum (line 4)

· 'versiculos'- diminutive

· 'uterque nostrum'- word choice emphasises the shared experience: they had fun together/in each other's company

ludebat numero modo hoc modo illoc (line 5)

· 'ludebat' + 'lusimus' (line 2)- repeating theme/idea of playfulness to emphasise how much fun Catullus & Calvus had together

· 'modo hoc modo illoc'- when read aloud, these words would be elided (-> mod hoc mod illoc) creating a jolty rhythm to imitate how rapidly the poets were switching from 1 metre to another

reddens mutua per iocum atque vinum. (line 6)

'mutua'- word choice to emphasise the poets were sharing lines equally

atque illinc abii tuo lepore (line 7)

'lepore'- emphatically placed at the end of the line to emphasise the quality that Catullus admires in Calvus

incensus, Licini, facetiisque (line 8)

· 'facetiisque'- emphatically placed at the end of the line to emphasise the quality that Catullus admires in Calvus

· 'incensus'- metaphor to emphasise how much Catullus is affected by Calvus/ to emphasise the strength of Catullus' feelings for Calvus (fire= powerful, all-consuming)

ut nec me miserum cibus iuvaret (line 9)

'me miserum'- alliterative 'm' sounds to emphasise Catullus' misery

nec somnus tegeret quiete ocellos (line 10)

· 'nec' + 'nec' (line 9)- anaphora

· 'ocellos'- diminutive to create sympathy for Catullus (poor little eyes)

sed toto indomitus furore lecto (line 11)

'toto... lecto'- enclosing word order

versarer, cupiens videre lucem, (line 12)

'versarer' & 'videre'- 'er' sounds to represent Catullus' groaning as he tosses and turns

ut tecum loquerer simulque ut essem. (line 13)

'loquerer'- 'er' sounds to represent Catullus' groaning as he tosses and turns

at defessa labore membra postquam (line 14)

'membra'- synecdoche (Catullus' limbs represent his whole body -> creating sympathy)

semimortua lectulo iacebant (line 15)

· 'semimortua'- hyperbole/exaggeration to create sympathy for Catullus

· 'lectulo'- diminutive to create sympathy for Catullus (his bed has shrunk to match his weakened bodypoor little eyes)

hoc, iucunde, tibi poema feci (line 16)

'iucunde' + 'tibi'- directs the focus from Catullus to Calvus, reminding Calvus that the poem is addressed to him

ex quo perspiceres meum dolorem. (line 17)

'meum dolorem'- assonance ('em' & 'um' sounds) + emphatic positioning of dolorem at the end of the line emphasises Catullus' suffering

nunc audax cave sis, precesque nostras (line 18)

'audax...sis...precesque'- sibilance

oramus, cave despuas, ocelle, (line 19)

'ocelle'- diminutive

ne poenas Nemesis reposcat a te. (line 20)

'ne poenas Nemesis reposcat a te'- sibilance + single syllable words add force to the warning

est vemens dea. laedere hanc caveto. (line 21)

· 'caveto' + 'cave' (line 18) + 'cave' (line 19)- tricolon/repetition & polyptoton emphasises Catullus' warning (repetition 3 times makes a spell more effective)

· two short sentences in 1 line to add force to warning