The Morphological Metamorphosis of Thetis in Catullus’ Poem 64

Abstract

This paper examines the famous polyptoton ( Thetidis . . . Thetis . . . Thetidi ) in Catullus’ poem 64.19–21 and interprets it as a morphological realization of Thetis’ metamorphosis, which—along with the whole negative side of the myth—is suppressed in the Catullan narrative. This “morphological metamorphosis” is, according to this paper, part of Catullus’ play with narrative and (inter)textual illusions in his miniature epic.

Erroneous Gazes: Lucretian Poetics in Catullus 64

“… 28 The metamorphic possibilities inherent in the configuration of letters are most spectacularly exploited in the polyptoton T hetidis /T hetis /T hetidi (64.19–21), a mythological implementation of the Lucretian letter simile, performing the metamorphosis of Thetis — suppressed by the Catullan narrative — as a morphological shape-shifting on the textual surface (see Tamás 2014.) At the same time, this is a less radical form of linguistic change than Lucretius’ anagrammatic ‘atomology’. …”