The Poetic Element in the Satires and Epistles of Horace [Microform]
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MICROFILMED 1991 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES/NEW YORK as part of the "Foundations of Western Civilization Preservation Project Funded by the NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES Reproductions may not be made without permission from Columbia University Library COPYRIGHT STATEMENT The copyright law of the United States ~ Title 17, United States Code - concerns the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material... Columbia University Library reserves the right to refuse to accept a copy order if, in its judgement, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of the copyright law. : AUTHOR: EDWARDS, H. TITLE: ELEMENT IN THE SATIRES ...PART PLACE: BALT^MORE DA TE 1905 Master Negative # COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES PRESERVATION DEPARTMENT BIBUOGRAPHIC MICROFORM TARGET Original Material as Filmed - Existing Bibliographic Record BKS/PROD Books FUL/BIB NYC691-B56418 Acquisitions NYCG-PT FIN ID IAUG88-B12783 ~ Record 1 of 1 - Record added today ID:NYCG91-B56418 RTYP:a ST:p FRN: MS: EL:1 AD 06-06-91 CC:9124 BLT:am DCF: CSC: MOO: SNR: ATC: UD 06-06-91 CP:nyu L:eng INT: GPC: BIO:d FIC:0 CON:b PC:r P0:1991/1905 REP: CPI:0 FSI:0 ILC: ME I :0 11:0 MMO: OR: POL: DM: RR: COL: EML: GEN BSE: 010 0637897 040 NNCt^cNNC 100 10 Edwards. Philip Howard, 1:dl878- 245 14 The poetic element in the Satires and Epistles of Horacet^h[ microform), ^npart I. 260 Baltimore,tt)J- H. Furst company , |:ci905. 300 47 p. , 1 KtC24 cm. 502 Thesis (PH. D.)--Johns Hopkins university. 500 Life. 504 Biblioqraphy : p. 46-47. 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M* fnxBt Companis BALTIMOSE ra CONTENTS. PAGE. Introduction 5_i7 Previous views.—Testimony of Horace and its literal acceptation. —This testimony probably influenced by temperament and environ- ment. —The nature of the poetic touch in Horace. Real Poetry 18-27 Poetic touch to strengthen the tone of genial pleasantry. —Nature descriptions. —Poetic similes and metaphors. —Passages suggesting the pastoral note. —Laudatory passages. —Passages reflecting philo- sophic earnestness. —The emotional element. —Passages in praise of wine. Parody 27-34 Its nature in Horace. —Related passages where the contrast between the elevated and the conversational is prominent. Elevated Passages 35-36 Poetic Reminiscence 36-45 The Iliad. —The Odyssey.— Epic phraseology. —Hesiod.—Mimner- mus. — Simonides.- Theognis.— Pindar. — Sophocles. — Euripides. —Theocritus. —Callimachus. —Ennius. —Catullus. —Lucretius. THE POETIC ELEMENT IN THE SATIRES AND EPISTLES OF HORACE. INTRODUCTION. The poetic element in the satires and epistles of Horace seems never to have been made the subject of thorough investigation. Owing to several passages in the satires and epistles themselves, the greatest unanimity has always existed upon one point in their interpretation ; viz., their essentially prosaic character. It would appear that from the very beginning this conception has held almost unquestioned sway over the minds of critics and authori- ties. It is not altogether unnatural that this should be the case, nor is the position in itself a false one. On the contrary, in the . many perplexing questions which face us in the classical field, it is refreshing to have the author's repeated reference to the subject under discussion. In the present instance, however, I am con- vinced that the author's self-directed and apparently frank criticism has had the eifect of obscuring certain other elements of his style, equally operative, though of less extensive application. It is difficult to understand why this is the case. One would suppose that the very fact that a norm of style has been established by the author's own words would direct especial attiBution to the abnormal, and prompt an investigation along that line. To be sure the editions occasionally note an elevated or poetic passage, for the most part in instances where it would be scarcely possible to ignore the change of tone. But scant reference has crept into the introductions, where few have had the courage in the face of such clean-cut expressions as musa pedestris^ and per humum repenSj to give the matter the benefit of distinct treatment. Lucian Mueller, Introduction^ p. xiii, is an exception sufficiently notable to be quoted: Zwar ubertreibt Horaz, wenn er (Sat, 1, 5 : : ; 6 The Podic Element in the Satires and Epistles of Horace. 56 fgdd.) behauptet, dass ohne das Metriim seine wie des Liicilius Compare vs. 41, where Horace refers to his own composition, Dichtungen wie Prosa erscheinen wurden. Es fiuden sich bei with vss. 45 ff., which concern comedy. The former is a guarded of ihm selbst und nocli ofter, soweit man nach den Fragmenten statement, the latter is a free and unrestrained expression urtlieilen kann, bei seinem Vorbilde Verse hoheren Schwunges, opinion, where the directness of the language is as evident as the wie ja auch die Erscheinungen des Lebens sich nicht ausschliess- conviction of the author. I do not wish to press this point too lich innerhalb hausbackener Prosa und niichtemer Alltiiglichkeit far, but in siqui scribat uti nos sermoni propiora there is to my bewegen. These are the most relevant words I have been able to mind a strong suggestion of modest understatement. The words find in the editions. nisi quod pede certo differt sermoni, sermo merus are occasionally Next in importance seems the observation of Nitsch, Introduc- cited by the editors as if they had direct reference to the satires tion to the Satires, vol. 2, p. 332. Die Sprache, welche Horaz in e, g.y Wickham, on Sot, 2, 6, 17. I believe such inference is diesen Gedichten redet, nahert sich allerdings der Prosa, wenn entirely unwarranted. wir es ihm schon darum nicht auf sein Wort glauben diirfen, dasz But Horace has something more to say. After citing an er iim dieser Gedichte willen, alien Anspruch auf den Rang eines example from comedy he continues, vs. 56 ff. Dichters entsagt. * his, ego quae nunc, Kiessling, Irdrodudion to the Satires, p. xvii, in discussing ScU. olim quae scripsit Lucilius, eripias si 1, 4, 39 ff., the most significant passage in the sermones, expresses tempora certa modosque et quod prius ordine verbumst the prevalent view, merging quite indiscriminately the departments posterius facias, praeponens ultima primis, of satire and comedy as the twin objects of the author's criticism. non, ut si solvas * postquam Discordia taetra His conclusions may be taken as representative of contemporary I Belli ferratos postis portasque refregit,' opinion ; viz., that there is little or nothing of the poetic in the invenias etiam disiecti membra poetae. satires of Horace. The above must serve as the most detailed remarks to be found In these lines we have that to which the whole passage has been in the authorities upon a side of Horatian style certainly deserv- tending ; viz., a return to the criticism of Lucilius which he had ing more careful investigation. begun in the opening of the satire. There is reason for believing First, then, let us examine the passages referred to above. The that Horace has here employed the well-known device of includ- most important is Sai. 1, 4, 38 ff. ing himself in a criticism whose arraignment is principally intended agedum, pauca accipe contra, for another. It is well known how far-reaching was the influence primum ego me illorum, dederim quibus esse poetis, of Lucilius, not only in his own time, but through the first century D. is probable, therefore, that as early as this fourth satire excerpam numero : neque enim concludere versum 40 A. It Lucilius not dixeris esse satis ; neque siqui scribat uti nos Horace foresaw that his severe handling of would go sermoni propiora, putes hunc esse poetam. unchallenged, though he was perhaps not prepared for the storm ingenium cui sit, cui mens divinior atque os of protest which required his lengthy defense in the tenth satire. magna sonaturum, des nominis huius honorem. In this connection it is interesting to mark the striking differ- idcirco quidam comoedia necne poema 46 ence of tone in the first satire of the second book, where the esset quaesivere, quod acer spiritus ac vis early discussion is throughout ignored, and where every reference nee verbis nee rebus inest, nisi quod pede certo to Lucilius is laudatory; cf. vss. 16 f., vss. 28 f., and a longer differt sermoni, sermo merus.