Free eBooks Catullus: The Complete Poems (Oxford World's Classics) Available To Downloads
Of all Greek and Latin poets Catullus is perhaps the most accessible to the modern reader. Dealing candidly with the basic human emotions of love and hate, his virile, personal tone exerts a powerful appeal on all kinds of readers. The 116 poems collected in this new translation include the famous Lesbia poems and display the full range of Catullus's mastery of lyric meter, mythological themes, and epigrammatic invective and wit.
Series: Oxford World's Classics
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; 2nd Print edition (October 22, 1998)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0192835874
ISBN-13: 978-0192835871
Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 0.6 x 5.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #688,311 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #329 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Love Poems #557 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > Literature > World Literature > European #610 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Ancient, Classical & Medieval > Ancient & Classical
As a Latin student of Catullus, this book was recommended to me as a guide. While the format is great for students, Latin on the left side, English on the other, I have one serious quarrel with the translation. The translator takes many liberties and does NOT translate literally. He tries to make the English version sound as poetic as Catullus would and fails. Also, Catullus is very graphic in his descriptions of lewd acts and the translator flufs the English version to make it PG-13 instead of the intended R rating.
The flamboyant poet from Verona, Catullus, who lived most of his life in Rome (84-54 BC), is probably one of the greatest personalities that stands out in Latin literature. His bold and skillful invective, summed up in witty epigrams, and his gallant love/hate relationship with the famous Lesbia all bring forth sharp reflections upon human emotions and ultimately surface Catullus' own personality. In these 116 poems, the reader will undoubtedly find something to relate to, even though they were written just over two thousand years ago. Many of the themes found here are relevant to the modern mind and condition, and seldom are boring and obscure archaisms found in the text. This complete collection of Catullus' poems, translated by Guy Lee and furnished with a parallel Latin text, is a great edition and indispensable addition to the classical library.
What can you say about Catullus? He's the poet's poet, a master of structure and language and image and soulful composition. These poems are a high point in classical literature.The translation is reasonably good, considering the material. The language flows and in the places where the translator attempts to match the spirit of the original, although often the literal meaning of the original is lost. As others have said, he takes a few liberties to try to tweak the rating down to at least a heady PG-13, and that's not the best way to treat the poet. Most often, in this case, what is lost is the impact of the meter on the feel of the sentiment of the poem. But that can't be helped, there's no way to substitute a translation for he real thing, and as far as translations go this one is the best I've ever seen.
Necessary read for all Classics lovers! His work highly influenced other great Classic writers like Ovid, Virgil, and Horace to name a few, and his poetry is a perfect example of Roman works at the time.
Enjoyed this book, it was not too difficult to read, it is an excellent copy. I would recommend this book to everyone.
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