Laura+Berry

ASSIGNMENT 7: RODEO by AARON COPLAND vs. THE AENEID by VIRGIL media type="file" key="Copland - Hoedown.mp3" width="240" height="20" Above: Rodeo's final movement, Hoe-down.

Nationalism has played an important role in art of every medium for thousands of years. Works that fall under its sphere of influence act as a source of pride for a country’s citizens, highlighting historical triumphs, famous native figures, and beautiful landscapes. The Aeneid was written by Virgil at the request of emperor Augustus in order to re-initiate this feeling among the Roman people, while Rodeo was written by Copland at the request of choreographer Agnes de Mille. Each work was commissioned with the requirement to underscore the beauty of aspects of each culture.

Rodeo was one of the first true American ballets, set in the cowboy-era of Manifest Destiny. Copland emphasized its bright, adventurous spirit with a fast, fiddle-like sound, instructing musicians to use open strings and to make use of other techniques usually reserved for playing folk music rather than ballet. Many of the ballet's themes are direct references to American folk songs. He also utilized percussion to imitate the sound of horses trotting. In the story, an awkward cowgirl tries to get the attention of the males around her, but her unfeminine, "one of the guys" approach has been failing her. Meanwhile, other romantic battles are raging over the beautiful rancher's daughter; ranch house parties take place; the lovesick dancers wander the open plains. Between the story and the music, the show could not be mistaken for one by a European composer--the atypical plot line and boisterous, more Broadway-influenced sound make it stand apart from other ballets.

The Aeneid borrowed its hero, Aeneas, from Homer's Iliad. Throughout its many thousands of lines it details the trials of the hero as he searches for the place he is destined to be. Like the cowgirl, Aeneas is against the odds and must think unconventionally, although on a much larger scale--he has a divine enemy, Juno, on his tail. Virgil's poem was uniquely important to the Roman people in the way that it referenced their gods, their future triumphs (such as the Punic Wars and the Battle of Actium), and their moral standards. In the Aeneid, Rome's founding was made glorious and interesting to the Roman people, just as Rodeo made America's development interesting to Americans.

One aspect that connects the two works is the way the artists used figurative ideas to conjure up the setting rather than making it explicitly apparent. Virgil uses chiasmus and synchisis to physically place objects and people in certain places in the poem. Copland uses optimistic, American-sounding chords to create the quietness of the mornings on the prairies.

The most significant thing that connects the Aeneid and Rodeo is the sense of adventure and exploration that accompany them. Whereas Aeneas was wandering in search of a new homeland, the cowboys were wanderers as well; they were driven by the sense of fate and duty that accompanied Manifest Destiny. In both cases, the characters were ultimately looking for a place to call their own.  ASSIGNMENT 6: THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON by F. SCOTT FITZGERALD vs. ARCAS AND CALLISTO by OVID  F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story // The Curious Case of Benjamin Button // seemed at first to have little in common with Ovid's tale of Callisto and her son Arcas. However different the settings, characters, and tone may be, though, the situation the transformed beings face shares several similarities. In //Benjamin Button//, a baby is born as an old man--and as an embarrassment to his wealthy, well-regarded family. Mr. Button initially refuses to accept Benjamin as his own child, and he has a hard time feeling paternal towards his son. Throughout his life, as Benjamin's mind grows older and his body, younger, he deals has a difficult time ever fitting in for long--his companions outgrow him. For some unexplained, otherworldly reason, he is an alien to the human race. As a child, he is wrinkled instead of adorable, and few have the patience to help him learn. His marriage quickly fails when his wife, interested in older men, notices his hair turning from gray to brown. When Benjamin becomes younger-looking than his own son, his son begins to act as if he as authority over him. At different points in the story his humiliated father, envious wife, and frustrated son command him to stop as if he has any control over it. Ultimately, he dies after a peaceful period as an infant. Ovid's story also begins in a supernatural fashion when Jupiter rapes and impregnates a young virgin named Callisto. Like Benjamin, she too shoulders the blame for what happened to her though she could not have prevented it (as is the case in most stories in which divine forces are involved, including //Benjamin Button//.) Diana bans her from her from her protection and Jupiter's jealous wife, Juno, transforms her into a bear. Arcas has just been born as a human and does not recognize Callisto as his mother, similar to the way the Benjamin was difficult to recognize as the Buttons' son. Also, now that Callisto has had her attractive human features taken away and replaced with the frightening appearance of a bear, she is treated as a beast though she retains her human memories. Callisto is as alone as Benjamin, though more obviously. Later in the story, when grown Arcas tries to hunt Callisto, unaware that she is his mother, Jupiter shows mercy and throws them both into the sky as the constellations //Ursa Major// and //Ursa Minor//. In the end, both Benjamin and Callisto, who were victims of their tales, find some consolation in death. Assignment 5: THE VIOLINCELLO by DAN RHODES vs. SALMACIS AND HERMAPHRODITUS by OVID    In many of Ovid's tales of metamorphoses, humans are transformed either out of mercy or as a form of punishment. Occasionally, though, transformations are fueled by passion. Both in the story of Salmacis and Hermaphroditus and the short story // The Violoncello // from //Don't Tell Me the Truth About Love// by Dan Rhodes, the authors emphasize the dangers of this type of metamorphosis. The story of Salmacis and Hermaphroditus concerns a vain, idle nymph and the handsome son of Hermes and Aphrodite, respectively. Salmacis first catches sight of Hermaphroditus when he wanders near her fountain after he leaves home for the first time. Salmacis is immediately enchanted by his beauty; she praises him, "blessed is she, if there is a she, promised to you, whom you think worthy of marriage!" However, Hermaphroditus, a sheltered boy, only blushes in response. (Apparently, according to Ovid, he turns a "very becoming" shade of red, which only further attracts Salmacis.) He rejects her, unaware of her notable vanity and promiscuity, and she pretends to leave. Once Hermaphroditus thinks he is alone, he attempts to bathe in the water, but is attacked by Salmacis. As they struggle under the surface, she prays that they are never separated, and her request is granted quite literally: they become one entity. Similarly, an unrequited lover's wish to transform backfires in //The Violoncello.// In this story, a handsome boy falls in love with a self-taught cellist, Ngoc, who plays in front of a library at night. The boy, Tuan, waits for and watches her patiently for over a year, captivated by the beauty of her music, each day asking her to join him for dinner or coffee and praising her skill. Each day, she excuses herself, saying that she has to help out her family and work on her studies. While Ngoc, absorbed by her passion for the cello, thinks very little of her rejection, it drives Tuan insane. Desperately, he seeks the assistance of a man who is known to grant wishes to those who can afford his fees. He gives up everything he has in order to be transformed into a beautiful, expensive cello and presented to Ngoc on her birthday. However, when she tries to play him, she senses that the cello isn't normal--it seems to have its own thoughts; she cannot make it sing like she makes her worn, weather-beaten cello. Ngoc fears that "maybe her music has left her," stops playing, falls in love with another man, and leaves behind only "an empty space where a pretty girl used to play the cello." These stories both underscore the idea that you cannot change yourself for love--if it is unrequited, then it cannot be altered. Both the lovers Salmacis and Tuan believe that they can trick the target of their affections into loving them back. The one-sided affections both result in two-sided tragedies--Hermaphroditus's loss of identity and Ngoc's loss of music. At first, Salmacis and Tuan try using flattery, but they become frustrated when they are unable to succeed despite their kindness and attractiveness. Ngoc and Hermaphroditus are similar characters as well; they have little life outside of their homes and are unfamiliar with love, so they are not aware when their rejections seem rude. Rhodes and Ovid come to the same conclusion at the ends of their stories: love is natural and cannot be forced, even when magic is involved. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%; text-align: center;">Assignment 4: THE SIRENS OF TITAN by KURT VONNEGUT vs. HORACE, ODE 2.3 When I read Ode 2.3, it reminded me of the journey of the character Malachi Constant in //The Sirens of Titan// by Kurt Vonnegut. Malachi is the richest, luckiest man in America pursuing an empty, hedonistic life. He deals only in extremes instead of keeping an even mind as Horace suggests ("aequam [mentem] memento," line 1) and like Dellius, the ode's subject, he must learn that his life will inevitably end. <span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A theme present in both works is destiny. Where as Horace tells Dellius that all humans, rich or poor, are inescapably herded to the same end ("omnes eodem cogimur," line 25) and that no one has the pity of Orcus ("victima nil miserantis Orci," line 24), Malachi's fate is outlined to him by an all-knowing, omnipresent being named Rumfoord. Try as he might to escape his destiny to lose his fortune and travel the solar system, Malachi is unable to avoid what fate has written for him. Horace also references the Fates, explaining to Dellius that he must accept death and enjoy life while the threads of the three sisters allow it ("sororum fila trium patiuntur atra," line 16). It takes Malachi most of his life to accept his destiny, and only when he is about to die is he able to make his own decision to live in Indianapolis upon returning to Earth. Both Malachi and Dellius begin with heaped-up riches ("extructis...divitiis," line 19/20) but are not immune to death because of them. <span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Perhaps if Malachi had agreed with Horace at the beginning of the novel, his interplanetary endeavors would have never occurred. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%; text-align: center;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%; text-align: center;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%; text-align: center;">Assignment 3: FIRE COMING OUT OF THE MONKEY'S HEAD by GORILLAZ vs. CATULLUS, POEM 84 Music and Lyrics by Gorillaz Narrated by Dennis Hopper media type="file" key="Gorillaz-Fire Coming Out Of The Monkey's Head.mp3" width="240" height="20"

Once upon a time at the foot of a great mountain, there was a town where the people known as Happyfolk lived, their very existence a mystery to the rest of the world, obscured as it was by great clouds. Here they played out their peaceful lives, innocent of the litany of excess and violence that was growing in the world below. To live in harmony with the spirit of the mountain called Monkey was enough. Then one day Strangefolk arrived in the town. They came in camouflage, hidden behind dark glasses, but no one noticed them: they only saw shadows. You see, without the Truth of the Eyes, the Happyfolk were blind.

Falling out of aeroplanes and hiding out in holes Waiting for the sunset to come, people going home Jump out from behind them and shoot them in the head Now everybody dancing the dance of the dead, the dance of the dead, the dance of the dead

In time, Strangefolk found their way into the higher reaches of the mountain, and it was there that they found the caves of unimaginable Sincerity and Beauty. By chance, they stumbled upon the Place Where All Good Souls Come to Rest. The Strangefolk, they coveted the jewels in these caves above all things, and soon they began to mine the mountain, its rich seam fueling the chaos of their own world. Meanwhile, down in the town, the Happyfolk slept restlessly, their dreams invaded by shadowy figures digging away at their souls. Every day, people would wake and stare at the mountain. Why was it bringing darkness into their lives? And as the Strangefolk mined deeper and deeper into the mountain, holes began to appear, bringing with them a cold and bitter wind that chilled the very soul of the monkey. For the first time, the Happyfolk felt fearful for they knew that soon the Monkey would stir from its deep sleep. And then came a sound. Distant first, it grew into cacophony so immense it could be heard far away in space. There were no screams. There was no time. The mountain called Monkey had spoken. There was only fire. And then, nothing.

O little town in U.S.A, your time has come to see There's nothing you believe you want But where were you when it all came down on me? Did you call me now?

The song "Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head" by Gorillaz shares many similarities with Catullus 84; both pieces are told as third-person fables with comedic, hyperbolic elements. Ultimately, both songs illustrate a moral in a clever yet accessible way.

All stories have a beginning, middle, and end. In "Fire" a town once protected from the ills of society is overtaken by corrupt neighbors. In the end, both parties fall victim to divine consequence. In 84, an uneducated man named Arrius makes a fool of himself by attempting to sound formal when speaking. He accidentally renames an ocean ("Ionios" becomes "Hionios" in line 12.) Both authors write with a deadpan tone in third-person, which also gives them a story-like feeling.

Despite the comedic elements (in "Fire," a group of people worship a monkey; in 84 Arrius says "chommoda" when he means "commoda" in line 1, among other mistakes) there is more to these works than making others laugh. "Fire" is more obviously serious than 84, which is appropriate--Gorillaz and Dennis Hopper warn against tragedy that can destroy entire nations. The lines near the end "There was only fire/and then...nothing" very plainly explain the consequence of the sins committed in the song. Poem 84 expresses the view that "you cannot be more than the place from which you came" in a less dramatic fashion when it says his whole family before him had spoke in the same, uneducated manner that Arrius does ("dixerat," line 6). Coincidentally, both the conclusion of the poem and the song are made hyperbolic by geographic features being ruined (a sea is renamed and a mountain explodes.)

Gorillaz and Catullus manipulate words and language to make a point. Dramatic capitalization ("Place Where All Good Souls Come to Rest") and imaginary races ("Happyfolk" and "Strangefolk") give "Fire" its fairy-tale feel. Catullus uses misspelled words in a humorous way to demonstrate Arrius's errors ("Hinsidias" in place of "Insidias," line 2). Though at times approached quite differently, each artist succeeds in making his point memorably. <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">Assignment 2: DUVET by B <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 190%;">ô <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">A vs. CATULLUS, POEM 85

media type="custom" key="7389453" __<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Catullus 85 __

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I hate and I love. Perhaps you ask why I do this. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I do not know. But I feel it happening and I am tortured.

__<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Duvet Lyrics __

And you don't seem to understand, a shame you seemed an honest man. And all the fears you hold so dear will turn to whisper in your ear.

And you know what they say might hurt you and you know that it means so much and you don't even feel a thing.

I am falling, I am fading, I have lost it all.

And you don't seem the lying kind, a shame that I can read your mind. And all the things that I read there, candle-lit smile that we both share.

And you know I don't mean to hurt you, but you know that it means so much, and you don't even feel a thing.

I am falling, I am fading, I am drowning, help me to breathe. I am hurting I have lost it all I am losing, help me to breathe.

I am falling, I am fading, I am drowning, help me to breathe. I am hurting, I have lost it all, I am losing , help me to breathe.

A couple of days after translating Catullus 85, I was listening to the song Duvet by the band Bôa. The closer attention I paid to the lyrics, the more I realized how many parallels exist between it and and the poem.

The first similarity I found was in the minimalist writing style, particularly in the chorus of the song. When the singer says, "I am falling, I am fading, I have lost it all," she plainly states her feelings. She does not try to sound clever or lyrical; her betrayal has left her with few words. For similar reasons, Catullus writes "Odi et amo" (line 1) in reaction to Lesbia's disloyalty without hiding his emotions behind a cryptic metaphor, as a poet typically would. Though the speakers in both situations must feel incredibly angry, they are also confused, depressed, and disappointed and so do not lash out--they almost seem numb more than anything.

Both works also neglect to make outright accusations of cheating; we are told about it more subtly. In the case of Duvet, it is made apparent when the phrases "and you don't seem the lying kind/a shame that I can read your mind" and "a shame you seemed an honest man" come up. In the case of Catullus, we already know from his other poems that he has been cheated on. However, we know that this poem specifically refers to that aspect of his life not only when he refers to love vs. hate in line 1, but when he says "excrucior" in line 2. The fact that the verb is passive shows that Catullus is victim of something--he is not torturing himself; it is Lesbia who is hurting him this way.

In Catullus 85, it is not clear whether the "you" is directed as Lesbia or the reader. If one favors the former possibility a connection between the indifferent attitudes of the unfaithful lovers can be found. Bôa's singer says "And you know what they say might hurt you/and you know that it means so much/and you don't even feel a thing." This indicates that her significant other cheated on her without the emotional regret one might expect. Catullus shows that Lesbia doesn't feel guilty either in writing "fortasse requiris [how I do this]." Because she questions his emotions, we understand that she doesn't share them.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">Assignment 1: THE TRUMAN SHOW <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;"> VS. <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">CATULLUS, POEM 5 While translating Catullus 5, I was reminded of the 1998 movie //The Truman Show//, and the romantic struggle of two characters, Truman and Sylvia. The movie's setting and premise do not at all resemble that of Catullus's poem. In this film, Truman plays the unwitting star of a 24-hour reality television program. Adopted by the production company at birth, he has lived his entire life before thousands of hidden cameras. The director of the show controls almost every aspect of his life: the death of his father, a deep fear of travel away from the small island on which he resides, and even the weather. Much to the director's frustration, however, a single, tiny detail is out of his control: with whom Truman falls in love. While in high school, for the first time, he acts against the script. Though the director plans for him to fall in love with a cheerleader, Truman really has his eyes on the actress Sylvia, who plays an extra named Lauren.

Despite the numerous, obvious differences between Ancient Rome and a man-made island beneath a fake sky, I found parallels between the two settings in terms of social environment. Just as Catullus and Lesbia's every action is analyzed by the old-fashioned patricians of Rome, Sylvia and Truman must hide their relationship from the watchful eyes of actors and cameras alike. Even so, Catullus writes, "rumoresque senum severiorum omnes unius aestimemus!" Both pairs of lovers feel that their relationships are more important than bending to the wishes of other people. For example, in the movie, Sylvia and Truman plan a secret meeting on the beach at night in order to see each other. Lesbia and Catullus also must meet under the dark veil of night ("nobis, cum semel occidit brevis lux, nox est perpetua una dormienda.") They know how dangerous their respective relationships are; they know that publicly announcing them would cause chaos. So for the sake of being together, they hide their love. Catullus describes this situation when he refers to the many thousands of kisses he shares with Lesbia: "illa ne sciamus, aut ne quis malus invidere possit." Though Catullus does not go into detail about the gossiping patricians in the poem, I felt that something the director said nicely summed up their collective opinion on how Catullus should behave: "We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented." If the patricians and the director had their way, neither Catullus and Lesbia nor Truman and Sylvia would fight against the status quo for their love. Unfortunately, they underestimate the power of their passions. // (Also, this is a fantastic movie and everyone should watch it.) //