• ‘Most Musicall, Most Melancholy’: Avian Aesthetics of Lament in Greek and Roman Elegy

    Author(s):
    Thomas J. Nelson (see profile)
    Date:
    2019
    Group(s):
    Ancient Greece & Rome
    Subject(s):
    Poetry, Ancient, Greek poetry, Latin literature, Aesthetics, Elegiac poetry
    Item Type:
    Article
    Tag(s):
    Lament, nightingale, swan, Classics, Ancient Greek poetry, Elegy
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/5krz-8c09
    Abstract:
    In this paper, I explore how Greek and Roman poets alluded to the lamentatory background of elegy through the figures of the swan and the nightingale. After surveying the ancient association of elegy and lament (Section I) and the common metapoetic function of birds from Homer onwards (Section II), I analyse Hellenistic and Roman examples where the nightingale (Section III) and swan (Section IV) emerge as symbols of elegiac poetics. The legends associated with both birds rendered them natural models of lamentation. But besides this thematic association, I consider the ancient terms used to describe their song, especially its shrillness (λιγυρότης/liquiditas) and sweetness (γλυκύτης/dulcedo) (Section V). I demonstrate how these two terms connect birdsong, lament and elegiac poetry in a tightly packed nexus. These birds proved perfect emblems of elegy not only in their constant lamentation, but also in the very sound and nature of their song.
    Metadata:
    xml
    Published as:
    Journal article     Show details
    Pub. Date:
    2019
    Journal:
    Dictynna
    Volume:
    16
    Page Range:
    1 - 47
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    4 years ago
    License:
    Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
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