Episode #39: Book of the Heaven Eleven (1)     

Roman poet Catullus and Greek poet Sappho both use eleven-syllable lines in their poetic stanzas. In this first part of my Intro I’ll read my translation of a Catullus poem (with my commentary verse employing his rhythm) and a half-dozen examples of what I call “catullics.” I’ll remark on certain references (Goethe’s use of Greek myth, mystical numerology, Persian Sufi interpretation of Noah) which I’ve explained in my accompanying “blogatelles.” The idea is to ease the reader into the melodic flow of catullic wordsong.