Quality and Pleasure in Latin Poetry

Originally published in 1974, these studies of Latin poetry were commissioned with two main purposes in mind: to encourage a fresh reading of several Latin poets from the time of Catullus to Horace, and to illustrate various, critical approaches to literature. As the literary study of Latin developed in schools and universities there was a proliferation of critical techniques, which were greeted with bewilderment by some, with hostility by others. This book does not attempt to adjudicate finally between them. There can be no one ‘prescription’ for interpreting poetry; but this does not mean that there are no valid standards of judgement. Criticism must be flexible, imaginative and sympathetic, but it must also be rigourous. To counteract feelings of disorientation the editors tried to provide samples of the best critical work in progress at the time of publication.