latin ocr gcse verse literature - Otium - Poem 50 - lines 11-21 translation and style

sed toto indomitus furore lecto

versarer, cupiens videre lucem,

ut tecum loquerer simulque ut essem.

but, uncontrollable because of my frenzy, I tossed about over the whole bed, desiring to see the daylight, so that I could talk to you and be together with you.

at defessa labore membra postquam

semimortua lectulo iacebant,

hoc, iucunde, tibi poema feci,

But, when my limbs, tired by suffering, were lying half-dead in my little bed, I composed this poem for you, dear chap,

ex quo perspiceres meum dolorem.

from which you might perceive my pain.

nunc audax cave sis, precesque nostras,

oramus, cave despuas, ocelle,

ne poenas Nemesis reposcat a te.

Now take care that you are not proud, and, light of my life, we beg, do not despise our prayers, lest Nemesis demand punishment from you.

est vemens dea. laedere hanc caveto.

She is a violent goddess. Beware of offending her.

‘toto indomitur furore lecto’ line 11

‘uncontrollable because of my frenzy, … the whole bed’ - assonance of ‘o’ creates a mournful sound - groaning - despair

‘toto…lecto’ line 11

‘whole bed’ enclosing word order - the bed wraps around him - vivid

‘furore lecto versarer...videre’ line 11/12

‘because of my frenzy, I tossed about over the whole…to see’ - alliteration of ‘r’ creates an animalistic sound and imagery - links to idea of frenzy

‘versarer…videre’ line 12

‘I tossed about…to see’ - repetition of ‘er’ - groaning, wretched sound, tonal shift

‘lucem’ line 12

‘light’ i.e. daylight - light of being reunited - glory

‘tecum’ line 13

‘with you’ - emphatic position at start of purpose clause emphasises that this is the focal point of the desire; 2 long syllables stress importance

‘simulque ut’

‘ so that… together with you’ - elision blends words - actions actually simultaneous

‘simulque ut essem’ line 13

‘be together with you’ - pleonasm, as inferred from prior phrase - emphasises his desire

‘at’ line 14

‘but’ - signposts a change in activity, emphatic position

‘defessa…membra…semimortua’ line 14/15

‘limbs…tired…half dead’ - double enclosing word order - limbs are overcome by suffering and tiredness resulting in them being half dead

‘membra’ line 14

‘limbs’ - synecdoche - mind and body are detached - why he is only half- dead

‘membra postquam semimortua’ line 14/15

‘when my limbs…half-dead’ - alliteration of ‘m’ creates a melancholic sound - suffering

‘lectulo’ line 15

‘little bed’ - diminutive - cutesy, humorous, melodramatic - polyptoton with lecto - can’t get out of bed due to tiredness

‘semimortua’ line 15

‘half-dead’ - neologism - experimentation

‘hoc…poema’ line 16

‘this poem’ - enclosing word order (for you, dear chap) - shows how poem is composed about calvus and for calvus only - personal, closeness

‘perspiceres’ line 17

‘you might perceive’ - ‘er’ sound repeated, prefix ‘per’ meaning through shows that Catullus wants Calvus to clearly see his pain - how wretched he is when parted from his friend

‘meum dolorem’ line 17

‘my pain’ - alliteration of ‘m’ creates a mournful sound, linking to pain - how wretched Catullus is

‘audax’ line 18

‘proud’ - promoted - emphasises risk and danger - makes curse more emphatic

‘cave…cave…caveto’ lines 18/19/21

‘take care…do not…beware’ - the repetition 3 times (and polyptoton) was believed to make a prayer/curse more effective - Catullus’s need to not be spurned, protected - emphasises warning, sinister tone

‘despuas’ line 19

‘despise’ - metaphorical as literally meaning is ‘spit out’ - vivid image - emphasises warning

‘ne poenas Nemesis’ line 20

‘lest Nemesis…punishment’ - alliteration of ‘n’ emphasises threat of punishment coming directly from Nemesis - goddess

‘poenas Nemesis reposcat’ line 20

‘Nemesis demand punishment’ - sibilance creates a hissing noise - sinister tone - threat, warning

‘te.’ line 20

‘from you’ - emphatic position at the end of a line - impact on Calvus - emphasises warning directed at him

‘Nemesis’ line 20

goddess of vengeance - inclusion by name creates a sense of the supernatural - creates fear, stresses importance of Calvus not spurning him - divine punishment

‘vemens’ line 21

‘violent’ - contract form, reducing syllables - short emphatic nature of line/phrase

‘dea’ line 21

‘goddess’ - reminder of power

‘hanc’ line 21

‘her’ - use of deictic - as if Nemesis is in the room - more vivid, more fear

‘caveto’ line 21

‘beware’ - use of formal, old fashioned form gives serious nature - final warning, along with emphatic position show awe in which goddess should be held

line 21

two short, 3-word phrases - harsh warning, powerful, direct address, emphatic