Poem 7 (You Ask Me How Many Kisses) by Catullus
"Poem 7 (You Ask Me How Many Kisses) by Catullus" is a passionate and playful exploration of love and intimacy, directed towards the poet's beloved, Lesbia. In this poem, Catullus responds to Lesbia's inquiry about the number of kisses he desires, suggesting a number as vast as the sands of Libyan Cyrene, a place associated with silphium, a plant linked to love and healing. The poem emphasizes a longing for privacy and secrecy in their affection, wishing to escape to a remote place where only the stars witness their romance. Catullus employs creative language, including playful neologisms like "basiationes," which translates to "kissifications," enhancing the poem's whimsical tone. The use of classical Greek meters reflects Catullus's skillful blending of traditional and colloquial styles, making his work unique in Latin poetry. Throughout the poem, themes of desire, secrecy, and the dangers of public scrutiny resonate deeply. Overall, "Poem 7" exemplifies Catullus's ability to capture the nuances of love and intimacy in a way that is both evocative and relatable, inviting readers to ponder the complexities of romantic relationships.
Poem 7 (You Ask Me How Many Kisses) by Catullus
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of World Literature, Revised Edition
First published: Written: First century b.c.e. (collected in The Poems of Catullus: A Bilingual Edition, 2005)
Type of work: Poem
The Work
You ask how many kissings of you,
Catallus is again mindful of “evil tongues” that might “bewitch” the couple if the number of kisses were known. This time, instead of confusing the number, the poet seems to envision stealing away with Lesbia to a foreign land where they will not be observed except by “ . . . the stars, when night is silent,/ that see the stolen loves of men . . .,” and the poet wants as many kisses as there are stars.
Poem 7 is an example of the poet’s flair for blending traditional Greek meters (again, the hendecasyllabic) with his own creative use of colloquial Latin. In Latin, line 1 ends with the word basiationes. Some consider this a “made-up” word and assign it the playful meaning “kissifications.” The orthography is legitimate, though Poem 7 is the only poem in which the poet uses basiationes, and the next Roman poet to use it was the epigrammist Martial in the following century. In the fourth line, Catullus does use a made-up word, lasarpiciferis, or “silphium-bearing,” to describe Cyrene, an ancient city in Libya.
In the context of this passionate love poem it is significant that Cyrene, after whom the Libyan city is named, was beloved of Apollo, who carried her off to Africa and there built her a city.
Bibliography
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