Virgil's "Eclogues"

Poem Review # 114559

English > Analysis
Literature > Greek and Roman

Virgil's "Eclogues"

An analysis of Virgil's explicit and implicit indebtedness to the Theocritean model of bucolic poetry from his first "Eclogue".

3,462 words () | 6 sources | MLA | 2009 Canada

Paper Summary:

Through a close reading of the first "Eclogue", this paper evidences Virgil's indebtedness to, and self-conscious reflection of, the Theocritean model. The paper additionally considers several of the ways in which Virgil makes pastoral poetry his own, specifically commenting on Virgil's creation of a tension between the pastoral and political worlds, a theme that is much absented from the bucolic poetry of his Alexandrian predecessor. The paper contends that Virgil crafts a world that potentially undermines our confidence in a truly idealized space, one where personal and artistic freedom are now subject to the tensions and upheavals of the far reaching political sphere. While Virgil's first Eclogue should not be viewed ironically, it certainly raises important issues for the modern reader who wishes to consider the implications of political impingement upon artistic freedom.

From the Paper:

"Additionally, we observe that the first Eclogue is a meeting and exchange between two shepherds, a common enough occurrence within the Idylls, notably 5 and 6. Creatively, Virgil uses Meliboeus to create a sense of this back and forth dialogue before it even properly begins. Within the first five lines, those spoken by Meliboeus, Virgil creates a strong sense of dichotomy and exchange through the repetitive employment of "you" and "we," a repetition that successfully elucidates the significant differences between these two figures. In this way, Virgil is innovating, doing something entirely different from his bucolic predecessor; Meliboeus reveals that this is not an exchange framed around a singing competition, nor do we see an exchange of gifts, as if found in Idylls 1 and 6. Rather, Virgil's exchange contrasts remaining within and leaving the pastoral space. "

Sample of Sources Used:

Cairns, Francis. "Virgil Eclogue 1.1-2: A Literary Programme?" Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 99 (1999): pp. 289-293.
Dick, Bernard F. "Vergil's Pastoral Poetic: A Reading of the First Eclogue." The American Journal of Philology 91.3 (Jul., 1970): pp. 277-293.
Hunter, Richard. Introduction. Idylls. By Virgil. Trans. Anthony Verity. New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 2003. 7-20.
Lee, Guy. Introduction. The Eclogues. Trans. Guy Lee. England: Penguin Books Ltd., 1984. 11-26.
Theocritus. Idylls. Trans. Anthony Verity. New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 2003.