Elegiac Poetry

One of the most important lyric aspects in the work of Manuel Machado was undoubtedly the elegy. Articulated in a double formulation, literary farewell and epitaph, this elegy means, both in its form and its expression, a new course in Hispanic modernist poetry, standing at the gates of modernity an even postmodernity in the Spanish literature.

Toward the end of the Exeter Book poem known as 'The Wife's Lament', the speaker of this monologue utters what has variously been taken to be a statement of philosophical resignation or a curse directed against her husband, from whom she is now separated and alienated. I develop a plausible reading context for this part of the poem by directing attention to cursing as a social institution and a literary theme, both in the early Middle Ages and in other times and places.

For centuries, scholars and school children have revered Thomas Gray’s graveyard poem, Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, for the philosophical questions it poses on perception, sociocultural influence and hidden virtue through the medium of Arcadian poetic form. The poem memorializes the lives of an obscure and unnamed group of villagers sleeping peacefully beneath the earth in a country churchyard, ruminating, by means of the imagination, the concept of nobility in their unperceived lives. Gray’s Elegy primarily wrestles with the concept of obscurity, employing the poetic imagination to illuminate the ideological paradigms of both historical and modern contexts. Elegy demonstrates an iconic poetic power amidst the philosophical and cultural constructs of the eighteenth century, championing imagination and memorialization as a means of reconciling the discrepancies between the social outcast and elite. In this essay, I intend to examine how Gray’s elegiac form engages imaginative thought toward reflective memorialization of the forgotten dead, illuminating the lives of the unseen and unsung.

Wealth and indigence are variable and essentially subjective ideas, characterized by the historical, economic, social and cultural contexts in which they are employed. The examples drawn from the literary texts of ancient Greece confirm the assumption. In Homeric poems, for example, wealth is seen as a resource for increasing social status, achieving success on opponents, and consolidating power. With Hesiod, there is a change of perspective, since wealth is not only commensurate with land ownership, but also with the sudden gains from trade and maritime traffic. The poet approves the wealth, only if it is acquired legitimately in full respect of divine standards. From the VII century B.C. the elegiac and jambic poets emphasize the fact that there is no direct correspondence between belonging to the aristocratic class and the possession of great substances; surely enrichment has in any case become the main aspiration for those who intend to free themselves in any way from poverty. At the same time, Theognis, accepting the ideology of the most intransigent aristocrats, considers wealth in negative terms, since he thinks that it facilitates the rise of enterprising individuals or coming up from demos. While public opinion accepts the idea that plenty of goods is an absolute value, the wise men repeat the fallacy of this judgment. This dichotomy goes on to Hellenism, when the debate on accumulation of wealth and the positive value of poverty becomes commonplace, after being filtered out of Cynical and Epicurean thought and diffused by the diatribe.

"Sedulius Scottus's De quodam verbece, a hundred and forty lines of elegiacs, is one of the most exciting Latin poems to survive from the ninth century; it is an impressive piece of serio-comic writing, one that draws daring parallels between the death of a ram and the Passion of Christ."

Elegy on the threshold. Antique heritage of the motif of
paraklausithyron in the elegiac poems of the Renaissance
period (usque ad Ioannem Cochanovium).

Paraklausithyron — a lament beside a door, typically placing a lover outside his mistress’s door, desiring entry, is a very old literary and musical ancient motif in love elegy that derives from the archaic genre of Theocritean komos, characteristic of Greek comedy. Paraklausithyron was successfully adopted by Roman literature to become one of the basic motifs of love elegy in the Roman Empire of Augustan times. The
present study explores the history of the motif and outlines the main features of its Roman variety. Then, its reception in Italian elegiac poetry in the Renaissance period is presented, and, within this context, the use of the motif in elegies written in Latin by Polish authors and in Polish by Jan Kochanowski. Vigils at the beloved one’s door are presented here as an essential element of an elegiac confession of love that refers to a characteristic line of arguments and distinguishable key words which, in the course of time, came to substitute the motif and the  confession of love itself. The motif also pervaded other forms of modern lyric love poetry, in particular the serenade; just as the elegiac experience of love initiated the sentimental imagery in European poetry.

L’attribuzione delle Elegiae di Massimiano a Cornelio Gallo viene generalmente imputata a Pomponio Gaurico, nonostante essa sia testimoniata in parecchi codici preesistenti alla sua edizione dei Fragmenta (1502), per cui non vi è dubbio che essa dipende da scelte testuali precedenti, soprattutto perché reca numerosi errori indipendenti da Gaurico stesso. Lo dimostrano un nuovo, approfondito esame dei codici e l’analisi di alcuni dati, finora non presi in considerazione. Si è inoltre ritenuto opportuno elencare una serie di giudizi sull’autore delle Elegiae e sull’opera.

Summarium
Primus Pomponius Gauricus Maximiani Elegias Cornelio Gallo perperam adscripsisse plerumque creditur, at idem faciunt et nonnulli codices qui, antequam eius editio in lucem prodiret (1502), conscripti sunt, qua re non est dubium quin eadem ex superioris aetatis testimoniis pendeat, praesertim cum compluribus mendis scateat quae nullo modo uni Gaurico tribui possunt. Quod quidem codicum recentiorum investigatione diligenter peracta, novis argumentis nisus comprobare conatus sum. Praeterea mihi visum est percensere quid de Elegiarum auctore nec non de Elegiis ipsis viri docti omni tempore sentirent.

Sommario:
p. 3 Introduzione
p. 7 Cap. 1 L'elegia di argomento storico-mitico come genere letterario
p. 23 Cap. 2 L'elegia diegetica tra l'età arcaica e l'inizio dell'età classica
p. 51 Cap. 3 Le elegie di Simonide di Ceo sulle guerre persiane
p. 87 Cap. 4 L'elegia di Archiloco sul mito di Telefo
p. 107 Riflessioni a margine
p. 109 Bibliografia
p. 119 Indice dei luoghi discussi
p. 121 Indice delle cose notevoli

al-Khansā’ (Tumādir) bint ‘Amr, a seventh-century tribeswoman of the Arabian Peninsula, was one of the most influential poets of the pre-Islamic and early Islamic periods. al-Khansā’, of the tribe of Sulaym, was undoubtedly the most powerful elegiac poetess of her time. In the pre-Islamic society, the role of a female poet, such as al-Khansā’ was to compose elegies for the tribesmen who fell in the battlefield. Her extraordinary fame rests in mainly on her elegiac poetry composed for her two brothers, Sakhr and Mu‘āwiya, who were killed in tribal skirmishes of Banū Sulaym with Banū Murra and Banū Asad predating Islam. She came to Medina in 629 with a deputation from her clan and met the Islamic Prophet Muhammad and fervently embraced the new religion. Her poetry was recorded by Muslim scholars who needed to study undegenerated Arabic in order to explicate Islamic texts. The significance of al-Khansā’, apart from her undeniable poetical talent, was originated from her instrumentality in raising elegiac tradition to the level of qarīd poetry instead of sadj‘ or radjaz. Her methodology, which assured her a superiority in this genre, became stereotyped in the rithā’ poetry after her. The secure position of al-Khansā’, as a female figure within the Arabic literature is extremely unique. In this study, the elegiac poetry of al-Khansā’ and her poetical style are examined with a scientific method. In addition to this, a number of examples of her outstanding poems are given.

Manilius Cabacius Rhallus (Mystras 1447 - Rome 1523) was still very young, when he knew the fate of exile shortly after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Moving to Italy, he settled in Rome and became known among the Italian humanists as a fine poet with a fortunate collection of poems, which was also edited in print shortly before his death (Manilii Cabacii Rhalli Iuveniles ingenii lusus, Naples 1520). Among the various motives that we find in his poetry it is very important the erotic one, which takes on from time to time the tones of the lyric or of the elegy, and in which the images and the allusions are drawn from a rare and sophisticated wealth of classical knowledge and culture. This essay aims to provide a critical examination of the third elegy of the collection, entitled Non esse deserendos amores, focusing the attention above all on its relationship with the classical models and in particular with a passage of the Metamorphoses of Ovid (Ov., Met. 14, 698-764). It also demonstrates that despite the reliance on its classical models,
this elegy preserves originality and creative autonomy.

abstract: Since Lachmann's edition (1816), there have been many discussions on the extent of Propertius' second book of Elegies. Fundamentally, nowadays, we observe two trends in this respect: one that understands that Propertius' elegies must be divided only into four books; and another, less conservative, which argues that the second book is too long, and for this reason this book would be a conflation of 2A and 2B. In this paper, I support the presupposition of the division of Book 2 into two books, by arguing that Lyne's (1998a) thesis on it is very appropriate. I understand that the elegies in Books 1 and 2 are marked by a narratio a persona, Cynthia. I consider the initial elegy of Propertius' Book 2B, 2.12, as a digression, which both recapitulates the central theme of the first two books and presents a broader poetic program than that which is presented in the previous elegies. Furthermore, I intend to observe the ekphrastic features of this digression in order to support Lyne's thesis by adding a new argument. Thus, 2.12, besides being a programmatic elegy, is also a highly innovative piece in terms of argumentation, since it presents two rhetorical mechanisms: digressio and ekphrasis.

Resumen:

LA ELEGÍA VALENCIANA COMO TEMA UNIVERSAL: LA CAÍDA DE VALENCIA DESDE EL ŠARQ AL-ANDALUS AL ROMANCERO FILIPINO 

Estudio de la formalización del concepto de Valencia como paraíso perdido, desde la literatura árabe del Šarq al-Andalus al romancero hispánico desarrollado en el archipiélago filipino. Se analiza la conceptualización de la elegía valenciana y su empleo como tópico literario desde el oriente de al-Andalus al oriente del mundo hispánico, explicando la formación del romancero filipino y la presencia del Reino de Valencia en las Letras Filipinas. Se estudian las elegías de la caída de la Valencia islámica a manos de los cristianos, y cómo se formaliza una fascinación literaria por el concepto de “Valencia como paraíso”, que se exporta como tópico a una literatura asiática de base hispánica que tiene en el romancero y las batallas de moros y cristianos su producción clásica.

Resum:

L’ELEGIA VALENCIANA COM A TÒPIC UNIVERSAL: LA CAIGUDA DE VALÈNCIA NARRADA DES DEL XARQ AL-ÀNDALUS AL ROMANÇER FILIPÍ

Estudi de la formalització del concepte de València com a paradís perdut, des de la literatura àrab del Xarq al-Àndalus al romancer hispànic desenvolupat a l’arxipèlag filipí. S’analitza la conceptualització de l’elegia valenciana i el seu ús com a tòpic literari des de l’orient d’al-Àndalus a l’orient del món hispànic, explicant la formació del romancer filipí i la presència del Regne de València en les Lletres Filipines. S’estudien les elegies de la caiguda de la València islàmica a mans dels cristians, i com es formalitza una fascinació literària pel concepte de “València com a paradís”, que s’exporta com a tòpic a una literatura asiàtica de base hispànica que té en el romancer i les batalles de moros i cristians la seva producció clàssica.

Xarq al-Àndalus, València, elegia, paradís perdut, Lletres Filipines, romancer.

Abstract:

VALENCIAN ELEGY AS UNIVERSAL TOPIC: THE FALL OF VALENCIA FROM THE SHARQ AL-ANDALUS TO THE PHILIPPINE ROMANCES

The article studies the development of the concept of Valencia as «Lost Paradise», from the Sharq al-Andalus Arabic literature to the metrical romances developed in the Philippine Archipelago. We study the conceptualization of Valencian Elegy and its use as literary topic from eastern al-Andalus to the easternmost Hispanic domain, explaining the implications of Romancero in the Philippines and the presence of the Kingdom of Valencia in Philippine Literature. The fall of Islamic Valencia under the Christians created a literary fascination for Valencia as paradise which will cross cultures as literary topic. Its influence in an Asian literature will prove significant in the conformation of the Philippine classicism based on Moors and Christians dramas and romances.

Sharq al-Andalus, Valencia, Elegy, Lost Paradise, Philippine Literature, Romancero.

Poema selecionado em concurso organizado pelo Diretório Acadêmico Carlos Drummond de Andrade, da Faculdade de Letras da UFMG. Dialoga, em primeiro lugar, com o Bartleby de Herman Melville, mas também com a poesia de Manuel Bandeira, o diário de notas de rodapé de Enrique Vila-Matas - bem como seu "texto invisível" - e os ensaios de Agamben e Deleuze dedicados ao escrivão que, a partir de certo dia, "preferiu não".

Ovid’s exile to Tomi has appealed to the imagination through the centuries and has even spawned a literary genre. The circumstances of this exile, however, are shrouded in mystery, and scholars have endlessly speculated on the possible reasons, which has everything to do with the fact that Ovid’s own poetry is
the only direct evidence for his exile. Since the beginning of the twentieth century some scholars have therefore argued that the exile was a poetic fiction. Due to
the growing interest in Ovid’s exile poetry in the last decades, and in particular
the analysis of its literary aspects, the fiction theory has become topical again. In
this contribution, I would like to study how we should read Ovid’s exile poetry
in this fictive scenario, and to see if this way of reading can produce meaningful
interpretations.

In Echoing Hylas, Mark Heerink argues that the story of Hylas—a famous episode of the Argonauts’ voyage—was used by poets throughout classical antiquity to reflect symbolically on the position of their poetry in the literary tradition. Certain elements of the story, including the characters of Hylas and Hercules themselves, functioned as metaphors of the art of poetry. In the Hellenistic age, for example, the poet Theocritus employed Hylas as an emblem of his innovative bucolic verse, contrasting the boy with Hercules, who symbolized an older, heroic-epic tradition. The Roman poet Propertius further developed and transformed Theocritus’ metapoetical allegory by turning Heracles into an elegiac lover in pursuit of an unattainable object of affection. In this way, the myth of Hylas became the subject of a dialogue among poets across time, from the Hellenistic age to the Flavian era. Each poet, Heerink demonstrates, used elements of the myth to claim his own place in a developing literary tradition.

With this innovative diachronic approach, Heerink opens a new dimension of ancient metapoetics and offers many insights into the works of Apollonius of Rhodes, Theocritus, Virgil, Ovid, Valerius Flaccus, and Statius.

“Holds its own with the best recent work on intertextuality in Latin poetry. Heerink skillfully deploys a series of sustained and convincing readings in support of an overarching thesis about the metapoetic allegory of the myth.” — Philip Hardie, Trinity College, University of Cambridge

Em muitas narrativas, há uma tensão entre a história que se desenrola ao receptor em um momento qualquer e a construção panorâmica do todo, a qual o auxilia a manter um foco e construir sentidos. Este livro reúne uma série de textos, em inglês e português, de especialistas convidados a explorar as noções de unidade e de episódio em diversos gêneros literários da Grécia antiga. Parte-se da Poética de Aristóteles, na qual o par "necessidade" e "probabilidade" são fundamentais, e são abarcados diversos gêneros que antecedem e sucedem à formulação aristotélica. Entre as obras hexamétricas analisadas, estão a Odisseia, os poemas cíclicos, os quais não parecem se opor à épica homérica como quis Aristóteles, e a poesia hesiódica ( Teogonia e Os Trabalhos e os dias), que, por sua vez, foi central na recepção da poesia épica arcaica por Calímaco, autor escolhido para se discutir a questão no período helenístico. Quanto à comédia, são analisadas as mudanças pelas quais passou seu enredo padrão na Comédia Nova. A análise dos epinícios de Píndaro permite explorar os conceitos de unidade e episódio na poesia mélica e analisar a forma de comunicação oral própria da literatura grega antes de Aristóteles. Por fim, dois gêneros em prosa narrativos por excelência, a historiografia (Tucídides) e o romance (Dáfnis e Cloé), permitem articular esses conceitos de modos distintos.

In Echoing Hylas, Mark Heerink argues that the story of Hylas—a famous episode of the Argonauts’ voyage—was used by poets throughout classical antiquity to reflect symbolically on the position of their poetry in the literary tradition. Certain elements of the story, including the characters of Hylas and Hercules themselves, functioned as metaphors of the art of poetry. In the Hellenistic age, for example, the poet Theocritus employed Hylas as an emblem of his innovative bucolic verse, contrasting the boy with Hercules, who symbolized an older, heroic-epic tradition. The Roman poet Propertius further developed and transformed Theocritus’s metapoetical allegory by turning Heracles into an elegiac lover in pursuit of an unattainable object of affection. In this way, the myth of Hylas became the subject of a dialogue among poets across time, from the Hellenistic age to the Flavian era. Each poet, Heerink demonstrates, used elements of the myth to claim his own place in a developing lite...

In Echoing Hylas, Mark Heerink argues that the story of Hylas—a famous episode of the Argonauts’ voyage—was used by poets throughout classical antiquity to reflect symbolically on the position of their poetry in the literary tradition. Certain elements of the story, including the characters of Hylas and Hercules themselves, functioned as metaphors of the art of poetry. In the Hellenistic age, for example, the poet Theocritus employed Hylas as an emblem of his innovative bucolic verse, contrasting the boy with Hercules, who symbolized an older, heroic-epic tradition. The Roman poet Propertius further developed and transformed Theocritus’s metapoetical allegory by turning Heracles into an elegiac lover in pursuit of an unattainable object of affection. In this way, the myth of Hylas became the subject of a dialogue among poets across time, from the Hellenistic age to the Flavian era. Each poet, Heerink demonstrates, used elements of the myth to claim his own place in a developing lite...

Un conocido proverbio afirma que “Los amados de los dioses mueren jóvenes”. Y así sucede, en efecto, en las páginas de Imágenes en fuga de esplendor y tristeza, donde se nos ofrecen, verso tras verso, las imágenes de jóvenes que, en plenitud de su belleza, ven truncada su vida, concediéndonos, de esta manera, una suerte de hermosura inmarchitable, imposible ya de ser ajada por los estragos del tiempo y ajena a la vulgarización del transcurrir cotidiano. Imágenes, sí, en fuga de esplendor y tristeza, pero fijadas para siempre por el terso don de una palabra que invita, siempre, a ser compartida.