CLLA 406 Horace Odes 1-3 (Not offered 2006-2007; to be offered 2007-2008)
Nietzsche claimed that he never had an artistic delight comparable to his
experience of reading a Horatian ode. Through close readings of selected odes in
Books 1-3 we will seek to experience such delight for ourselves and to learn
why, as Nietzsche put it, "what is here achieved is in certain languages not even
to be hoped for." We will examine the relation between poetic landscapes, poetic
programs and the poetry's exploration of subjects like love, friendship, youth
and old age, death, politics, private morality; the poet's capacity to define
himself by offering his own account of poetic traditions and his place in them;
the variety of voices and perspectives within individual poems and throughout
the collection; the demands thereby placed on the poet's audience and the power
of the poetry to transform an audience equal to those demands. It is in terms of
this transformational power of poetry that we will consider Horace's relationship
to his contemporaries, particularly Vergil, his patron Maecenas, and Augustus.
Evaluation will be based on contributions in the classroom, two 2- to 3-page
papers (translation with comments), a short memorization assignment, perhaps a
midterm, a final paper, and a final exam.
Prerequisites: Latin 202 or permission of instructor.