Latin Haiku - Horace, II.14

Eheu Postume!
Tempus fugit, mors manet
omnis ianuam.

English:
Alas Postumus!
Time flies, (and) death waits
on everyone's doorstep.

Latin Haiku - Horace, I.11

Aetas fugiet
ab celeribus alae
sic carpe diem.

English:
Time will flee
with swift wings
so seize the day.

Some more Epicurean philosophy

Arnold Lobel - A List
The most important thing in Toad's day is his list. He is lost without his list. He is simple, and takes things in stride - but he cannot do anything without his list. According to Epicurean philosophy, Toad's pleasure is completing things step by step, and the best way to achieve this pleasure is by writing down what he has to do on his list. When his list is blown away, Toad is as well - he is in so much pain that he even begins to cry! Does Toad's pain outweigh his pleasure? Yes, but temporarily. Toad's friend Frog guides him back to the practical side of things, and finally he is able to go to sleep peacefully. As he happily remembers what the last thing on his list was and carries it out as well, Toad is happily able to regain his pleasure.

Janell Cannon - Verdi
Verdi is a little vain. He is so proud of his yellow stripes and so dislikes the actions of the older snakes with green stripes that he tries to shun them and their way of life completely. To the young Verdi, the color of his stripes seems to be the source of his color - however, it is everything associated with them that truly makes him happy. His jumping and swinging and general youthfulness make him satisfied, which is why he cannot stand to be like the older snakes. When Verdi hurts himself however, it is the older snakes who take care of him and reminisce about their own green days. When Verdi hears this, he realizes that pleasure is not something that is associated with anything physical or tangible. As long as Verdi retains his youtfulness, it doesn't matter how old he gets - the real pleasure is his inner vitality. It is this life within him that allows him to finally make the large figure 8 with the new, younger snakes.

Leo Lionni - It's Mine
Milton, Rupert, and Lydia are greedy. They quarrel over the smallest of things, and continue to shout "It's mine! It's mine!" until a large toad comes over and scolds them. The greed of getting more space on the pond distracts the young frogs from the actual pleasure of having something of their own; they are only focused on obtaining more and more. When the storm comes and a large toad saves them, the frogs are able to learn their lesson. However, what they learn is not only that greed is bad - it is that sharing brings more fun and pleasure. The frogs aren't focused on unnecessary desires anymore, and that is why they have more fun when they share.

Horace I.9 - Epicurean philosophy

Horace's I.9 is a poem deeply infused with the Greek philosopher teachings Epicurus. The main theme in the poem is the attainment of pleasure.

In the first stanza, the poet muses over Soracte and its gleaming white snow, relishing in the aesthetic beauty of the scene, and clearly absorbing pleasure and contentment from it.
The next stanza is also one of the moment - Horace paints a wonderfully cozy picture of warming oneself by the hearth. The image is another one of contentment.
In both of these stanzas, winter is not depicted, as it often is, as a stark force that withers away everything around it. Instead, winter is seen as calm and soothing, a time to relax and enjoy oneself. This idea directly references Epicurean philosophy: the ultimate good is pleasure, therefore one should solely put all his efforts in pursuing pleasure.

In the third stanza, Horace continues to highlight Epicurean themes. He counsels his readers to not be greedy, and to not worry what will come tomorrow, but just to enjoy the present moment. He believes that the greatest amount of pleasure can only be attained during youth, so he encourages young love and passion. In the last stanza, he shows a scene straight out of a teenage love story: a young man chasing after a girl who is only pretending to not be interested. The boy snatching the bracelet off the arm of the girls is a frozen moment full of love and emotion; to Horace, pleasure is youth.

Latin Haiku - Laocoon's death :(

Gemini serpens
Laocoonum corpore
torquent et volvent.

Vergil: the Aenied - Discussion Question

What elements of Sinon's story make it an effective lie for the Trojans?

First off, Sinon plays upon the Trojans' sense of empathy. His appearance as a "frightened, defenseless" man, shackled in chains already air a sense of helplessness around him. The Trojans understandably see no threat from him, and therefore would not suspect him to be a liar. His opening lines further encourage this idea, as he laments "Oh, is there anywhere now left on land or sea where I can find refuge? No, there is no hope at all for me in this extreme of misery!"

Secondly, Sinon manipulates Trojans' hatred and fear of the Greeks. The picture he paints of them is exactly the image that the Trojans themselves must have had of their enemy. When he mentions the deceit of Ulysses, he interjects "which will be of no surprise to you." Sinon knows that the Trojans see Ulysses as a cruel trickster - by making himself look as if he has been mistreated by Ulysses, Sinon plays the age-old card of "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." He has the Trojans' sympathies now, because he tells them what they have believed all along: the Greeks are traitors to even their own kind. They are disrespectful enough to insult the gods by stealing the statue of Athena, and by sacrificing their own daughters for the sake of winning a war.

Finally, Sinon gives the Trojans false hope. He confirms their hopes by telling them that the Greeks have left Troy; and then he makes them believe that they will eventually triumph over the Greeks by accepting the wooden horse. The Trojans cannot be wholly blamed for wanting to believe that they will be the winners in this long, drawn-out war. They accept Sinon's lie and the horse that will be their undoing because it is a manifestation of all that they have been hoping for. Sinon tells them everything they want to hear, and they believe him because they are only human. While their acceptance of the horse seems foolish in hindsight, it would have seemed obvious to them. After ten years of fighting a bloody war, of course they would want to readily take a course that might give them victory. Sinon tricks the Trojans because he has an understanding of human nature.

Latin Haiku - the Aeneid: Book I, 254-271

Venus est vexat.
Sator manet immotus;
Aeneas reget.

English translation:
Venus is worried.
The creator remains unmoved;
Aeneas will rule.

Vergil: the Aenied - Discussion Question

What aspect of the poet's characterization of the great man in verse 151 prompts us to compare him with Aeneas himself?

Vergil describes Neptune in this extended simile as "Just as often, when a riot breaks out in a huge throng, and the common people rage, and torches and stones fly, madness supplying weapons, if they see a revered man of deserved respect and duty, they are silent, and stand there listening attentively; he moves their minds with his words and soothes their hearts."
Aeneas is himself a leader. He is a survivor of Troy, which already makes him deserving of respect. Also, in the first few stanzas of the poem, he is described as being pious, and being the most worthy man; why would Juno want to destroy him? the poet ponders. Aeneas is the calm man here; he has been driven through the harsh storms of the seas, and is pelted with Juno's wrath. Yet steadfast and strong he remains. Throughout the storm, we get very little of Aeneas' own input; all we hear is of Trojans' losing against the storm. Yet it should be assumed that Aeneas is, for lack of a better term, keeping his cool. Because Vergil doesn't automatically relate his situation, it's almost as if he's in the background, making sure that everything can go as okay as it possibly can in a situation so dire. And later, the reader is not disappointed when the Trojans reach Carthage. Even while mourning for his lost companions, Aeneas takes charge and sets everything back in order.

Latin Haiku - the Aeneid

Book I, lines 124-141

Neptunus irat.
Aeolus praevaricat.
Venti puniet.

Neptune is angry.
Aeolous exceeds (his place).
The winds will be punished.

Haiku - the Aeneid

Book I, lines 1-101

Poor Prince Aeneas
is left to die on the seas.
Juno's wrath is cruel.

Makings of an Epic - Pirates of the Caribbean

Epics have been around ever since Gilgamesh began wandering around the Sumerian wilderness. As with Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Vergil's Aeneid, and the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, these long narrative poems have become distinctive of the cultures they represent. An epic emphasizes human drama on a grand scale, and these narratives can be seen both in literature and film. Although many epics we see in cinemas today are usually unrealistic, we nevertheless attach great praise to them and help them rake in millions of dollars. One such epic is Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean.

This popular film franchise has deep roots in traditional epic style. Although it does not contain long, formal speeches, the plot is still based off of the characters' dialogue. In Pirates, Johnny Depp's portrayal of the eccentric Jack Sparrow is what made the films so memorable. Although not your typical hero, Sparrow, despite his many flaws, still turns out to be an extremely admirable protagonist. Ultimately sacrificing what he really wants - immortality - Jack and the rest of the characters exhibit heroic, moral deeds all the while displaying selfish and quirky sides of their personalities.

The films are also based a national and cultural background - namely, the Caribbean as it was in the 1600s. There is also a large emphasis on the metaphysical, with the plots of the films centering around cursed Aztec gold or the legend of Davy Jones. There is quite a lot of both multi- and single combat. Being a large narrative, the movie plots' are also based off of upheaval and conflicts left to the characters to somehow resolve. The plots are thick and long, much like the plots of ancient epics. Functioning the same way as an elevated writing style would for an ancient epic, grand musical scores set the audience on edge, leaning ahead on their seats to become more swept up in the action. There is even some divine intervention, with heathen gods cursing the Aztec gold, and the goddess Calypso becoming a significant character towards the third movie. This is all coupled with magic compasses, large-scale naval warfare, and of course, mutinous, murdering, zombie pirates. How much more epic can a movie get?

With all the elements that made ancient epics so well-remembered, the Pirates movies have become so successful that Dead Man's Chest is currently the fourth-highest grossing movie of all time (even though in this humble fan's opinion it clearly was not as epic as The Curse of the Black Pearl)!