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.
FREE Two-Day Shipping for students on millions of items. Learn more |
| ||||||||||||
|
There is a newer edition of this item:
|
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
`The best current translator of Latin poetry, Guy Lee, has now turned his attention to "The Poems of Catullus" ... this is yet another distinguished version from Lee's pen which deserves to become the standard version both for those with Latin and those studying Catullus in translation, and its author deserves hearty congratulations.' Greece and Rome
'the work of a consummate Latinist ... with a desire to communicate something of the elegance and verbal flair of his original, a matter close to L.'s heart as the crisp introduction makes plain ... a very persuasive book' Roland Mayer, King's College, London, The Classical Review, Vol. XLIII, No. 2, 1993
'the work of a consummate Latinist ... with a desire to communicate something of the elegance and verbal flair of his original, a matter close to L.'s heart as the crisp introduction makes plain ... a very persuasive book' Roland Mayer, King's College, London, The Classical Review, Vol. XLIII, No. 2, 1993
About the Author
Gaius Valerius Catullus (ca. 84 BC ca. 54 BC) was one of the most influential Roman poets of the 1st century BC. His work is still widely studied, and his perennial influence continues to be seen in poetry and other forms of art. Guy Lee is at St John's College, Cambridge.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
For students only,
By
This review is from: Catullus: The Complete Poems (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)
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.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"One of the Greatest Personalities in Latin Literature.,
By
This review is from: Catullus: The Complete Poems (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)
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.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great intro to a great poet,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Catullus: The Complete Poems (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)
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.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Inside This Book
(learn more)
First Sentence:
Whom do I give a neat new booklet Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
ducentes subtegmina, elegiac couplets Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Hymen Hymeneal, Hymen Hymenaee, Hymenaee Hymen, Hymeneal Hymen New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Whom do I give a neat new booklet Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
ducentes subtegmina, elegiac couplets Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Hymen Hymeneal, Hymen Hymenaee, Hymenaee Hymen, Hymeneal Hymen New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 10
books:
See all 10 books this book cites
40
books
cite this book:
See all 40 books citing this book
- The Waste Land and Other Writings (Modern Library Classics) by T.S. Eliot in Back Matter
- The Waste Land (Norton Critical Editions) by T. S. Eliot in Back Matter
- Quality and Pleasure in Latin Poetry by Tony Woodman in Back Matter
- The Poems of Catullus (Penguin Classics) by Catullus in Back Matter
- The Cambridge History of Classical Literature: Volume 1, Greek Literature, Part 3, Philosophy, History and Oratory by P. E. Easterling in Back Matter
See all 10 books this book cites
- Bisexuality in the Ancient World by Eva Cantarella on 6 pages
- Women in the Classical World: Image and Text by Elaine Fantham on 4 pages
- Shakespeare Survey (Volume 46) by Stanley Wells on page 111, page 113, and page 117
- Catullus: A Poet in the Rome of Julius Caesar by Aubrey Burl in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Catullus (Ancients in Action) by Amanda Kolson Hurley in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
See all 40 books citing this book
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
