Help-A question of Virgil's Eclogues

[Gibran]

You, Tityrus, 'neath a broad beech-canopy
Reclining, on the slender oat rehearse
Your silvan ditties: I from my sweet fields,
And home's familiar bounds, even now depart.
Exiled from home am I; while, Tityrus, you
Sit careless in the shade, and, at your call,
"Fair Amaryllis" bid the woods resound.

Virgil's Eclogues Ⅰ

The word"neath" means "Beneath", and what's the quotation mark " ' " used for?

Thanks.


Gibran

[Petrarch's Love]

What quote marks are you referring too? If you mean the quote marks around "Fair Amarylis," they're there because Tityrus is imagined calling this aloud and the quotation marks indicate that these words are vocalized. If you mean this mark ' preceeding the "neath," this isn't a quotation mark but an apostrophe. It's there to indicate that the word has been shortened from "beneath." Apostrophes indicate when something is missing, in this case the "be" in "beneath" is replaced by the apostrophe, hence 'neath. When I used the word "it's" earlier to mean "it is" the apostrophe indicated that I had formed a contraction by dropping the "i" in "is". Hope this helps and that you're enjoying the Eclogues. By the way, what translation are you using? Just curious.

[Gibran]

Hi Petrarch's Love,
Thanks for your help! I refer to the apostrophe before "neath", I've understood already, it means "It's",right?
confused which translation it is myself, just found it on the net, cuz I'm fond of idylls and eclogues!
by the way, does your name refers to Laura? Luckily I've read Petrarch's RIME last month, like it very much!

[Virgil]

Hi Petrarch's Love,
Thanks for your help! I refer to the apostrophe before "neath", I've understood already, it means "It's",right?
I don't know which translation it is myself, just found it on the net, because I'm fond of idylls and eclogues!
And by the way, your name refers to Laura? Luckily I've read Petrarch's RIME last month in a library, and I like it very very much!

No, I don't think so. 'neath means underneath, and the ' is for the dropped "under". Is that correct Petrarch?

[Petrarch's Love]

Hi Gibran--Just to be clear, the apostrophe doesn't necessarily mean "it's," but that is just another example of a word where the apostrophe is used. Apostrophes stand in for what is missing in a word (like the "be" missing from beneath when it's written as 'neath in the eclogue).

Yes, my screen name refers to my name, Laura. So you've been reading Petrarch as well as Virgil? The Rime is one of my favorite sequences. And you're also fond of pastoral? Very interesting. I think it's a wonderful genre. By the way, welcome to the forum. Hope you enjoy it here .

[Virgil]

Yes, beneath, not underneath as I stated. The ' ususally is for one syllable.

[Gibran]

Hi Petrarch's Love,

OK,the apostrophe can be used instead of the words needn't to be written? In this way, to avoid useless vocabulary?

Hello to Virgil! You're my favourite poet!

By the way, I knew just a little about Italian Literature, Dante Alighieri,Petrarch,Boccaccio,Cervantes are all I know about this country.

And, I'm really fond of pastoral! simple but graceful, with love and nature，it's like a dream under the idle shade of cherry bay. Just like Yunnan in my country, It made me conclude-all poems are made as odes for love and nature, directly or indirectly.

[Virgil]

Hi Petrarch's Love,

OK,the apostrophe can be used instead of the words needn't to be written? In this way, to avoid useless vocabulary?

I think it's the way some poets fit syllables into the metric scheme. You know what I mean?

Hello to Virgil! You're my favourite poet!

Thanks, but I know you meant the original Virgil. I took this name because I've been reading Dante. You can read a little of my background in the Introduction and Say Hi thread. I'm on the first page.

By the way, I knew just a little about Italian Literature, Dante Alighieri,Petrarch,Boccaccio,Cervantes are all I know about this country.

I'm actually of Italian heritage. One correction: Cervantes is Spanish, not Italian.

I saw on a different post you're from China. That's quite interesting. I don't know China very well, but what part? And how did you come to learn english and like Italian poets?

[Gibran]

I think it's the way some poets fit syllables into the metric scheme. You know what I mean?

You mean the poet use apostrophes to make a setence rhythmic?

I'm actually of Italian heritage. One correction: Cervantes is Spanish, not Italian.

Goodness! I forgot Cervantes is Spanish! Thanks for correcting.

I saw on a different post you're from China. That's quite interesting. I don't know China very well, but what part? And how did you come to learn english and like Italian poets?

I'm in a seaside city called Dalian.Every Chinese child needs to study English when he's 6 years old in nursery school, and in most cities, English is reckoned much more important than Chinese! How funny!

I'm reading a translation of Dante and Virgil's projects these days, and entered this forum by mistake.

[Virgil]

You mean the poet use apostrophes to make a setence rhythmic?

Yes, but Petrarch would know best. Hopefully she will read this and comment.


I'm in a seaside city called Dalian.A city of northeast China on the Liaodong Peninsula and the Bo Hai. And we could see Japan by telescope!

Every Chinese child needs to study English when he's 6 years old in nursery school, and in most cities, English is reckoned much more important than Chinese! How funny!

I'm reading a translation of Dante and Virgil's projects these days, and entered this forum by mistake.

Great. I had a tenant for an apartment that I rent out from my house who was from the Northeast part of China. His english was not bad, but I think he learned it here in the US. He was able to immigrate to the US. I was quite fond of him. But I believe his home town was somewhere near the Russian border. His mother came to visit once. A very nice lady. And she spoke fluent Russian. As well as Chineese, of course. They moved away a few years ago and they have not kept in touch.

[Petrarch's Love]

OK,the apostrophe can be used instead of the words needn't to be written? In this way, to avoid useless vocabulary?

You have the idea. The apostrophe is instead of the letters which are missing. Virgil is right to point out that "beneath" has been made short here to make the line of the poetry the right length. 'Neath is usually only seen used in poetry. Of course, in the original Latin that Virgil was writing in the word was completely different and not shortened. This is how the translator has decided to put it into English.

And, I'm really fond of pastoral! simple but graceful, with love and nature，it's like a dream under the idle shade of cherry bay. Just like Yunnan in my country, It made me conclude-all poems are made as odes for love and nature, directly or indirectly.

Do you live near Yunnan? My room mate in college came from China and she spoke to me often of how beautiful Yunnan province is. It made me wish to travel there and see it some day. It sounded like it is very much an idyllic country like that of pastoral poetry. Also, since you enjoy pastoral so much, I wondered if you have read anything by Wordsworth? He has many beautiful passages dedicated to the admiration of nature (though in a different style than Virgil's Eclogues). You might enjoy his work.

[Charles Darnay]

If you're reading Dante and Virgil (which I too am doing at this time) you should be able to recognize rhythmic meters. To make poetry flow properly, especially when using a strict meter as both poets do, each line must have a certain number of syllables. Try reading the line you posted out loud, then read it again adding the "be" to "neath" - you will hear the difference I am sure.

Welcome to the forum..... and we almost all of us end up here by accident - staying is something done on purpose!

[Charles Darnay]

Yes, my screen name refers to my name, Laura.

Cudos to you Gibran... Petrarch's Love: I have seen your screen name many times, and have recently started reading some of Petrarch's works... and for some reason I was not able to put two and two together

[Gibran]

Great. I had a tenant for an apartment that I rent out from my house who was from the Northeast part of China. His english was not bad, but I think he learned it here in the US. He was able to immigrate to the US. I was quite fond of him. But I believe his home town was somewhere near the Russian border. His mother came to visit once. A very nice lady. And she spoke fluent Russian. As well as Chineese, of course. They moved away a few years ago and they have not kept in touch.

Hi Virgil,

According to your sentences, I think you refer the province "Harbin", it's bounded on Russia and sometimes a group of Chinese even walk over the border to find work in Russia. And it's extremely cold there!

And to Petrarch's Love, my hometown is far away from Yunnan!Thousands of miles! Yunnan is tropical and near the equator.It's beautiful just like what Virgil's described, there's no car nor factories, green mountains and pastures all over! But the defect is, people there are poor in both pockets and knowledge.

And if I'm not wrong-Charles Darnay,Virgil, Petrarch's Love and me are all reading Dante and Virgil at the moment!

[Gibran]

a few photos taken in Yunnan