The Aeneid- A love story.

The Aeneid is a wonderful mythic writing filled with typical hero’s journey adventures. Written by Virgil, it is a story very similar to those of Homer’s. War, travel, conquering, but ore than all of this it is a story about love. It is a story about heartbreak. I love how the tale of the love between Dido and Aeneas is written blatantly in word but also very subtly through the poetic nature of Virgil’s writing. There is so much beauty and emotions in a lot of the Aeneid. In class, I think the assignment for my group was to find 2 or 3 passages that were just beautifully written. By the time is came to share with the class we had underlines maybe half a dozen passages. It was too hard to narrow it down to just a few! Here are a few that really speak to me. Read them and enjoy 🙂

“The Man by Jove’s command held fast his eyes

And fought down the emotion in his heart.”

I find this gender role recognition important. He is a male therefore he must suppress the emotions he is feeling.

“Night never veils the earth in damp and darkness,

Fiery starts never ascend the eat.”

“Unconscionable Love,

To what extremes will you not drive our hearts!”

I just love imagining someone shouting this as they shake their fist as the heavens. Gah, Love!

Okay these last four just sing to me. I love them.

“…when midnight hushed the earth;

And lonely on the roof tops the night owl

Seemed to lament, in melancholy notes,

Prolonged to a doleful cry.”

Amazing! The reader can really feel the sad emotions in this moment.

” With a calm look, a clear and hopeful brow”

Can’t you just picture it!? Hopeful brow… so good.

“With honey dripping slow and drowsy poppy.”

Drowsy is such a good descriptor word. Then match it with honey? So perfect.

Okay last one!

“The flow of the rivers, make the stars move backward,

Call up the spirits of deep Night. You’ll see

Earth shift and rumble underfoot and ash trees

Walk down mountainsides.”

So this one is my favorite. I like the flipped perspective of the stars moving backwards and the trees walking as opposed you you moving forward in travel.

In the end Virgil’s writing is both story and also beautiful pros that evoke the exactly perfect emotions.

-Travelin’ Tori