Carpe Diem: The Poetics of Presence in Greek and Latin Literature

Hardback

Main Details

Title Carpe Diem: The Poetics of Presence in Greek and Latin Literature
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Robert A. Rohland
SeriesCambridge Classical Studies
Physical Properties
Format:Hardback
Pages:320
Dimensions(mm): Height 216,Width 140
Category/GenreLiterary studies - classical, early and medieval
Literary studies - poetry and poets
ISBN/Barcode 9781316510827
ClassificationsDewey:874.01
Audience
General
Illustrations Worked examples or Exercises; 17 Halftones, color

Publishing Details

Publisher Cambridge University Press
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publication Date 1 December 2022
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

Carpe diem - 'eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die!' - is a prominent motif throughout ancient literature and beyond. This is the first book-length examination of its significance and demonstrates that close analysis can make a key contribution to a question that is central to literary studies in and beyond Classics: how can poetry give us the almost magical impression that something is happening here and now? In attempting an answer, Robert Rohland gives equal attention to Greek and Latin texts, as he offers new interpretations of well-known poems from Horace and tackles understudied epigrams. Pairing close readings of ancient texts along with interpretations of other forms of cultural production such as gems, cups, calendars, monuments, and Roman wine labels, this interdisciplinary study transforms our understanding of the motif of carpe diem.

Author Biography

Robert A. Rohland is a Junior Research Fellow (under Title A) at Trinity College Cambridge. His research focuses on two forms of ancient poetry: lyric and epigram, with equal attention to Greek and Latin material. He is also particularly interested in analysing poetry along other forms of ancient cultural production, such as artworks or calendars.