The Aeneas Complex
This reversible poem explores the psychology of Aeneas leaving Dido, an event from Virgil’s Aeneid which has inspired much heated debate amongst scholars. It was written after Intermediate Latin 1B classes of Michaelmas term. Was Aeneas the cold-hearted man who merely got on the boat and left, or does Virgil suggest more to his psychology than this? Is Aeneas rather a man, called by his fate and his piety to get on those boats to Latium, but who harbours a deep-seated regret for the loss of his love that tinges the rest of the epic with a silvery undertone of sadness?
All is true that you have read,
So it is foolish to think that
I would do otherwise
If I had the choice again.
I was so right!
It is wrong to believe that
You should hesitate to break a heart.
It was the Gods’ messenger who encouraged me
That I must also
Seek the wealth of future generations. And
He seemed to promise to
Want this. So,
Never did I
Fear him, since
He came to me
So softly, slowly, sweetly
From the gold topped mountain
On that day when
I sailed my boats away.
And I will not deny it:
Carthage tortured me.
It was a prison
In my sleep, my dreams, my thoughts.
So when I left,
I was happy.
Although I have waited long to say it,
I know this in my heart:
That fate calls me
And
That this piety brings life!
I refuse to believe that
Carthage is love.
I want to be far from there, for
No longer do
I wish to love the Phoenician.
The pain has never been so great
As the critics say -
All is true that you have read,
And it is foolish to think that
I would do otherwise
If I had the choice again.
Now if you flip it, and punctuate it a little differently, you may see a new side to the same story.
If I had the choice again,
I would do otherwise.
And it is foolish to think that
All is true that you have read.
As the critics say,
The pain has never been so great.
I wish to love the Phoenician!
No longer do
I want to be far from there, for
Carthage is love!
I refuse to believe
That this piety brings life,
And
That fate calls me.
I know this in my heart,
Although I have waited long to say it,
I was happy.
So when I left,
In my sleep, my dreams, my thoughts,
It was a prison:
Carthage tortured me.
And I will not deny it:
I sailed my boats away
On that day when
From the gold topped mountain
So soflty, slowly, sweetly,
He came to me.
Fear him! Since
Never did I
Want this so.
He seemed to promise to
Seek the wealth of future generations, and
That I must also,
It was the Gods’ messenger who encouraged me.
You should hesitate to break a heart!
It was wrong to believe that
I was so right.
If I had the choice again,
I would do otherwise.
And it is foolish to think that
All is true that you have read.
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