Waltharius1453

From Waltharius
Jump to: navigation, search

Epilogue (1453–1456)

Haec quicunque legis, stridenti ignosce cicadae  The correct interpretation of this and the following two lines is not entirely obvious. Beck takes aevum as aetatem iuvenilem, but what is the point of exhorting the reader here to remember the days of youth? Better to take aevum as aeternitatem (cf. prologue, lines 5, 8); thus a young reader is encouraged to remember (like Waltharius) the importance of Christian salvation as he goes out into the world on his own.

 

 Eclogue 2.12-13.: me cum raucis. . .resonant arbusta cicadis. ‘The copses echo my voice with that of the shrill cicadas.’

 

 SDSSDS
Elision: stridenti ignosce
 
  cicadae The cicade has a tradition as the a poetic insect for its singing and having a voice (cf. Plinius). Plato depicts them in Phdr. 259b-c as degenerated men, who existed before the muses, and now watch the men and tell the muses which of the men praises and pleases them. With Aesop (fable no 373), one might even consider this as a begging for patronage, since the cicade (grasshopper in most modern English versions) was just singing in contrast to the working ant. The comparison might, with Plato, suggest that the muses are subordinated to philosophy, or in Christian context theology. The poetics of the epic thereby just a preliminary exercise of the young poet. THe Haug 2004 article is not yet incorporated BK 
Raucellam nec adhuc vocem perpende, sed aevum,  Eclogue 2.12-13.: me cum raucis. . .resonant arbusta cicadis. ‘The copses echo my voice with that of the shrill cicadas.’

 

 SDSSDS 
Utpote quae nidis nondum petit alta relictis. 1455  Georgics 2.210: illae altum nidis petiere relictis. ‘These leave their nests and seek the sky.’   DSSDDS 
Haec est Waltharii poesis. vos salvet Iesus.  IHS: an abbreviation for the name Jesus, based on its first three letters in Greek.   ???????? 

« previous   English