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Roman Poetry Research Project

Objective

The goal of this assignment is for you find a Latin poet who you might enjoy reading more of, whether in English, Latin, or a mix of both.

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For this assignment, you will write about a poet and poem of your choice. Your goal is to give a short overview of the poet, then look at a particular poem to see what is interesting or engaging about what they wrote. You need to find at least 10-12 lines of poetry to look at and analyze. For some authors, that will be one small sample from a poem thousands of lines long. For other authors, that length may require 3-4 poems. The list below is by no means a complete list of all Roman poets, but they are some of the most well-known. You may pick someone not on this list if you like. 

Requirements

Your writing must answer the following questions, and your grade will be based on how well you answer these questions in your writing:

  • Your Poet as a Historical Figure

    • ​What do we know about their life and upbringing?

    • What do we know about their death?

    • What years did they live or at least write?

    • How did politics function during their lifetime (i.e., was Rome a republic, were there emperors, or did they live after the Roman empire had already collapsed?) 
    • How did their writing survive until the modern day?

  • Your Poet as an Author

    • ​What type or genre of poetry did they write in general?

    • What themes and topics did they discuss?

    • What piece of their writing did you choose to look at?

    • Give an example of their writing, in both Latin and an English, 10-15 lines in length (The translation does not have to be your own, but if it is not yours, you have to cite who wrote the translation).

  • Your Response to Their Writing

    • ​How do these 10-15 lines compare to the author's other works?

    • What do you like about the lines you chose? Why did you pick them?

    • What differences are there between the Latin and the English translation?

    • What makes this poet worth reading?

Resources

In addition to the sources below, there are multiple reference materials and resources in my classroom books. I can also give you advice of how to narrow down your selections. Ask me if you want more details.

List of Authors

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Catullus

recommended poems: 2, 3, 5, 7, 13, 70, 72, 85

Biographical information

English and Latin Poems

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Juvenal

recommended poems: Satires, book 3

Biographical information

English Translation

Latin Poems

 

Lucretius

recommended poems: De Rerum Natura Book 1

Biographical information

English Translation

Latin Poems

 

Martial

See link for recommended poems

Biographical information

English Translation

Latin Poems

 

Ovid

recommended poems: Metamorphoses 3, 6, 14, and end of 15; Jason and Medea from the Heroides

Biographical information

English Metamorphoses Translation

English Heroides Translation

Latin Poems

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Phaedrus

Recommended: 3.7, 4.3, 4.17

Biographical information

English Translation

Latin Poems

 

Propertius

Recommended: 2.8, 4.7

Biographical information

English Translation

Latin Poems

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Tibullus

Recommended: 1.4, 1.9

Biographical information

English Translation

Latin Poems

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Virgil

Recommended: Aeneid Book 2, 6

Biographical information

English Translation

Latin Poems

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