CLLA 406 Horace Odes 1-3 (Not offered 1998-99)

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 tradition; 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, a final paper, and a final exam. Prerequisite: Latin 202 or permission of instructor.

HOPPIN