The Elegies of Propertius (Masterplots, Definitive Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Sextus Propertius
- Type of Work: Poetry
- Genres: Poetry, Elegy
- Subjects: Love or romance, Poetry or poets, Honesty, Women, Bankruptcy or financial crisis, Biblical times, Italy or Italians, Joy or sorrow
Critical Evaluation:
Sextus Propertius wrote in the poetic genre known as the Roman love elegy, a form first developed and made famous by Gallus (of whose work only one line survives), Tibullus, Ovid, and Propertius himself. The love elegy was written in alternating hexameter and pentameter lines; the pentameter was actually a hexameter shortened by the removal of syllable in the middle and another at the end of the line. The tone of this genre was always personal and passionate, and it was characterized by the first-person lament of the frustrated or grieving lover alternating...
[The entire page is 1845 words long]
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