AP Latin : Passage Comprehension in Poetry Passages
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Latin
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Passage Comprehension In Poetry Passages
Ni te plus oculis meis amarem,
iucundissime Calve, munere isto
odissem te odio Vatiniano:
nam quid feci ego quidve sum locutus,
cur me tot male perderes poetis? 5
isti di mala multa dent clienti,
qui tantum tibi misit impiorum.
quod si, ut suspicor, hoc novum ac repertum
munus dat tibi Sulla litterator,
non est mi male, sed bene ac beate, 10
quod non dispereunt tui labores.
di magni, horribilem et sacrum libellum!
quem tu scilicet ad tuum Catullum
misti, continuo ut die periret,
Saturnalibus, optimo dierum! 15
non non hoc tibi, false, sic abibit.
nam si luxerit ad librariorum
curram scrinia, Caesios, Aquinos,
Suffenum, omnia colligam venena.
ac te his suppliciis remunerabor. 20
vos hinc interea valete abite
illuc, unde malum pedem attulistis,
saecli incommoda, pessimi poetae.
This poem is addressed to a person named Calvus. How does the author feel about this person?
He hates Calvus
He is happy to speak to Calvus
He does not care about Calvus
He loves Calvus
He loves Calvus
The author expresses how he feels about Calvus in the line that translates as If I did not love you more than my eyes. Even though the word for hate is mentioned later, he is talking about his affection for his friend.
(Passage adapted from "Catullus 14," ln.1-23)
Example Question #2 : Passage Comprehension In Poetry Passages
Ni te plus oculis meis amarem,
iucundissime Calve, munere isto
odissem te odio Vatiniano:
nam quid feci ego quidve sum locutus,
cur me tot male perderes poetis? 5
isti di mala multa dent clienti,
qui tantum tibi misit impiorum.
quod si, ut suspicor, hoc novum ac repertum
munus dat tibi Sulla litterator,
non est mi male, sed bene ac beate, 10
quod non dispereunt tui labores.
di magni, horribilem et sacrum libellum!
quem tu scilicet ad tuum Catullum
misti, continuo ut die periret,
Saturnalibus, optimo dierum! 15
non non hoc tibi, false, sic abibit.
nam si luxerit ad librariorum
curram scrinia, Caesios, Aquinos,
Suffenum, omnia colligam venena.
ac te his suppliciis remunerabor. 20
vos hinc interea valete abite
illuc, unde malum pedem attulistis,
saecli incommoda, pessimi poetae.
In lines 1-5, we learn that __________.
Calvus has sent the author many bad poems
Calvus desires to become a poet
Calvus is too talkative
Calvus has died
Calvus has sent the author many bad poems
In the first few lines, the author is addressing the gift he recieved from Calvus: a lot of bad poems. He states that if he did not love Calvus, he would hate him greatly because of how bad the poems are.
(Passage adapted from "Catullus 14," ln.1-23)
Example Question #3 : Passage Comprehension In Poetry Passages
Ni te plus oculis meis amarem,
iucundissime Calve, munere isto
odissem te odio Vatiniano:
nam quid feci ego quidve sum locutus,
cur me tot male perderes poetis? 5
isti di mala multa dent clienti,
qui tantum tibi misit impiorum.
quod si, ut suspicor, hoc novum ac repertum
munus dat tibi Sulla litterator,
non est mi male, sed bene ac beate, 10
quod non dispereunt tui labores.
di magni, horribilem et sacrum libellum!
quem tu scilicet ad tuum Catullum
misti, continuo ut die periret,
Saturnalibus, optimo dierum! 15
non non hoc tibi, false, sic abibit.
nam si luxerit ad librariorum
curram scrinia, Caesios, Aquinos,
Suffenum, omnia colligam venena.
ac te his suppliciis remunerabor. 20
vos hinc interea valete abite
illuc, unde malum pedem attulistis,
saecli incommoda, pessimi poetae.
Who are Caesios, Aquinos, and Suffenus?
The poem does not say
Poets the author admires
Other bad poets
Other friends of the author who have also sent him bad poetry
Other bad poets
The author refers to all of these people as "venena" (poisons) shortly after naming them. Furthermore, he uses the word "colligam" (to collect) in tandem with these words. Since the entire poem so far has been talking about bad poetry and he uses the word for collect, we can assume these are other bad poets the author does not like.
(Passage adapted from "Catullus 14," ln.1-23)
Example Question #1 : Passage Comprehension In Poetry Passages
Cenabis bene, mi Fabulle, apud me
paucis, si tibi di favent, diebus,
si tecum attuleris bonam atque magnam
cenam, non sine candida puella
et vino et sale et omnibus cachinnis. 5
haec si, inquam, attuleris, venuste noster,
cenabis bene; nam tui Catulli
plenus sacculus est aranearum.
sed contra accipies meros amores
seu quid suavius elegantiusve est: 10
nam unguentum dabo, quod meae puellae
donarunt Veneres Cupidinesque,
quod tu cum olfacies, deos rogabis,
totum ut te faciant, Fabulle, nasum.
In lines 1-5, we learn that __________.
The author's dog is well
The author has a girlfriend
The author wants to feast with his friend
The author's dog is favored by the gods
The author wants to feast with his friend
In the first few lines of this poem, the author is urging his friend to feast with him. He goes into some detail about how great the meal will be and some of the things that he plans to have at the feast.
(Passage adapted from "Catullus 13," ln.1-14)
Example Question #2 : Passage Comprehension In Poetry Passages
Miser Catulle, desinas ineptire,
et quod vides perisse perditum ducas.
fulsere quondam candidi tibi soles,
cum ventitabas quo puella ducebat
amata nobis quantum amabitur nulla. 5
ibi illa multa cum iocosa fiebant,
quae tu volebas nec puella nolebat,
fulsere vere candidi tibi soles.
nunc iam illa non vult: tu quoque impotens noli,
nec quae fugit sectare, nec miser vive, 10
sed obstinata mente perfer, obdura.
vale puella, iam Catullus obdurat,
nec te requiret nec rogabit invitam.
at tu dolebis, cum rogaberis nulla.
scelesta, vae te, quae tibi manet vita? 15
quis nunc te adibit? cui videberis bella?
quem nunc amabis? cuius esse diceris?
quem basiabis? cui labella mordebis?
at tu, Catulle, destinatus obdura.
How does the author feel?
Angry
Happy
Miserable
In Love
Miserable
The author uses many negative words to describe what it going on in the poem. Foremost, he starts off using the word "miser " (miserable), and he goes on to talk about other negative things that he needs to come to terms with.
(Passage adapted from "Catullus 8," ln.1-19)
Example Question #3 : Passage Comprehension In Poetry Passages
Miser Catulle, desinas ineptire,
et quod vides perisse perditum ducas.
fulsere quondam candidi tibi soles,
cum ventitabas quo puella ducebat
amata nobis quantum amabitur nulla. 5
ibi illa multa cum iocosa fiebant,
quae tu volebas nec puella nolebat,
fulsere vere candidi tibi soles.
nunc iam illa non vult: tu quoque impotens noli,
nec quae fugit sectare, nec miser vive, 10
sed obstinata mente perfer, obdura.
vale puella, iam Catullus obdurat,
nec te requiret nec rogabit invitam.
at tu dolebis, cum rogaberis nulla.
scelesta, vae te, quae tibi manet vita? 15
quis nunc te adibit? cui videberis bella?
quem nunc amabis? cuius esse diceris?
quem basiabis? cui labella mordebis?
at tu, Catulle, destinatus obdura.
What is the author describing in this poem?
An insult
A broken friendship
A breakup
A death
A breakup
Throughout the poem, many references to a girl, "puella," and love are made. The whole poem is about the change in relationship between Catullus and this girl.
(Passage adapted from "Catullus 8," ln.1-19)
Example Question #4 : Passage Comprehension In Poetry Passages
Cui dono lepidum novum libellum
arida modo pumice expolitum?
Corneli, tibi: namque tu solebas
meas esse aliquid putare nugas.
Iam tum, cum ausus es unus Italorum 5
omne aevum tribus explicare cartis . . .
Doctis, Iuppiter, et laboriosis!
Quare habe tibi quidquid hoc libelli—
qualecumque, quod, o patrona virgo,
plus uno maneat perenne saeclo! 10
Why does the author give his book to Cornelius?
Cornelius is famous
Cornelius is his patron
Cornelius is a friend
Cornelius believed in the author's work
Cornelius believed in the author's work
In line 3-4, the author gives the reason as to why he wants Cornelius to have his book: you were accustomed to think that my trifles were something. In other words, he believes in/likes the author's writing, even though the author thought that they were nothing significant.
(Passage adapted from "Catullus 1," ln.1-10)
Example Question #111 : Content Of Poetry
Disertissime Romuli nepotum,
quot sunt quotque fuere, Marce Tulli,
quotque post aliis erunt in annis,
gratias tibi maximas Catullus
agit pessimus omnium poeta, 5
tanto pessimus omnium poeta,
quanto tu optimus omnium patronus.
Marcus Tullius is a(n) __________.
lawyer
poet
advisor
entertainer
lawyer
The author reveals who Marcus Tullius is in the last line of the poem: a "patronus" (lawyer).
(Passage adapted from "Catullus 49," ln.1-7)
Example Question #112 : Content Of Poetry
Nulli se dicit mulier mea nubere malle
quam mihi, non si se Iuppiter ipse petat.
dicit: sed mulier cupido quod dicit amanti,
in vento et rapida scribere oportet aqua.
The author claims that the woman in the poem __________.
is a liar
has met Jupiter
wants to marry Jupiter
loves him very much
is a liar
The author states in the last two lines: She says this, but that which a woman says to a passionate lover ought to be written in the wind and swift water. This idiom, common in English as well, is used to indicate that a person is lying about something.
(Passage adapted from "Catullus 70," ln.1-4)
Example Question #113 : Content Of Poetry
Passer, deliciae meae puellae,
quicum ludere, quem in sinu tenere,
cui primum digitum dare appetenti
et acris solet incitare morsus,
cum desiderio meo nitenti 5
carum nescio quid lubet iocari
et solaciolum sui doloris,
credo ut tum gravis acquiescat ardor:
tecum ludere sicut ipsa possem
et tristis animi levare curas! 10
Which of the following actions does the girl NOT do with the sparrow?
Hold it
Pet it
Play with it
Let it bite her
Pet it
The author uses the words "ludere," "tenere," and "dare digitum" to describe the actions she does with the bird. She plays with it, holds it, and lets it bite her finger, but does not pet it.
(Passage adapted from "Poem II" by Gaius Valerius Catullus, 1-10)
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