Sunday, April 22, 2007

Week 14: Reflections on Home

Carmen 31, in which Catullus addresses his home place, Sirmio, is among those that we have labelled "De Vita Sua", About His Life.

Writing about one's home-place might seem very easy to some people, but to an increasing number of people, that might seem difficult if not absurd. Fewer and fewer people in our modern age actually grow up in one place, much less on a family estate that has been in the family for multiple generations.

What can you excavate, metaphorically speaking, from Catullus' Carmen 31 about his life? And more importantly, speculate on why he might have wanted to write a poem about his home place. Finally, reflect on and answer this question: does being able to reflect on a "home place" have any appeal to you? Why, or why not?