THE RAPIDITY SIMPLICITY AND NOBILITY OF STYLE IN THE FIRST SIX BOOKS OF VIRGIL'S AENEID by FANNIE ELIZABETH PUTCAMP A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN 1920 413672 THE RAPIDITY, SIMPLICITY AND NOBILITY OF STYLE IN THE FIRST SIX BOOKS OF VIRGIL'S AENEID. In all literary criticism of Virgil's Aeneid, comparison is constantly made with the Odessey and Iliad of Homer, upon which the Aeneid is modelled. In certain stylistic qualities of Homer, Virgil is the one among Latin poets who resembles him most closely. The se qualities are rapidity, nobility, and simplicity and directness of expression and of thought. The purpose of this thesis is to show by examples from the first six books of the Aeneid, that Virgil does possess the se qualities of style, as they are explained by Matthew Arnold in his essay "On Translating Homer". Without going into formal definition, Arnold shows how each of these is produced. Let us first consider the quality of rapidity. With its grace of ease and freedom from elaborate movement, the hexameter is most appropriate and most conducive to rapidity. on without check. Again, the verse must move While inversion is an impressive quality of style, it is inconsistent with rapidity of movement, and is not used where this effect is desired. But, most important of all, is that the poet must have, in his own nature, rapidity. His thoughts must be direct and their progress must not be retarded by details which are merely ornamental in nature. Simplicity, too,comes naturally with the natural and simple dignity of the hexameter. The words and grammar must be idio |