Malest Cornifici Tuo Catullo by Allen Ginsberg
The title Malest, Cornifici, tuo Catullo is taken from the poem Carmen 38 written by Catullus, a Latin poet of the late Roman Republic, who died around 54 BC.
Malest, Cornifici, tuo Catullo
malest, me hercule, et laboriose,
et magis magis in dies et horas.
Quem tu, quod minimum facillimumque est,
qua solatus es allocutione?
Irascor tibi. Sic meos amores?
Paulum quid lubet allocutionis,
maestius lacrimis Simonideis.
Things are bad for your Catullus, Cornificius,
Things are bad, by Hercules, and painfully so,
and more and more so as days and hours pass.
With what word of comfort, which is the least
and the easiest, have you comforted him?
I am angry with you. Is this how you treat my love?
Give me a tiny bit of comfort,
sadder than the tears of Simonideus.
Structures of the both poems (by Catullus and Ginsberg) are very similar, as well as the lives of the both poets. Catullus was an avant-garde poet of his times, who rejected traditional social and literary norms and refused to write in conventional style about gods and heroes. In the same way Ginsberg and his fellow poets from the Beat Generation opposed existing literary conventions and openly expressed their views on homosexuality and drugs in their poetry.
In the Malest, Cornifici, tuo Catullo Ginsberg tells Kerouac that he has found a new boy “your madman Allen’s finally made it: discovered a new young cat.” Ginsberg is happy (even excited) about his love life and he is very open about it. However, he realizes that his openness about it might not be particularly pleasant to others, so his tone switches “Yore angry at me. For all my lovers?”. In this way he attacks socially acceptable morals and norms. In the 50’s, when homosexuality is still punishable by law, Ginsberg protests loudly and audaciously by writing this poem.
I see how Ginsberg, being a part of the Beat Generation, in this short poem tries to adhere to the new avant-garde style; however, I personally find it difficult to fully understand, accept and like this style of writing. I do, on the other hand, enjoy doing a research, learning about the both poets and comparing their writing styles.
2 responses so far
I agree with your understanding of the poem, including the tone switch around the seventh line. In the poem Ginsberg is excited about sharing his love life, which included homosexuality, but then seems to realize or remember the stigma attached to it — that homosexuality is ‘offensive’ and ‘obscene’, or “sickening”. Line seven, “You’re angry at me. For all of my lovers?” particularly seems to call out the inappropriate stance of society regarding it by making it seem that the strong reprobation is ridiculous. Like, “Really? You’re mad at me for /that/? For who I sleep with?”, and giving out the sentiments of ‘How is who somebody sleeps with any business of law enforcement? You’re going to arrest me for who I /sleep/ with?’ directed towards society. Especially as using the word “lovers” makes it sound more ‘wholesome’.
I also agree with Ginsberg writing his poetry using “new avant-garde style”, and agree that his poetry and that of the Beat Generation can be difficult to understand; however I have to say this poem in particular of his didn’t seem to hold the same difficulty of understanding as “Howl”, at the very least to me. Even when I do find it difficult to understand — and that happens a lot with poetry for me — I do accept the stylistic choices the poet makes and respect it, as I do here. To each their own!
Thank you for sharing the full text of the poem, because when you read the Catallus and Ginsberg poems together it sounds like Ginsberg’s is almost a reversal of Catallus’ poem. In Malest Cornifici Tuo Catullo, Catallus reaches out for comfort, but Ginsberg reverses this and tries to comfort his friend. Catallus is upset with himself and with Cornificus, who he’s addressing, and he’s reaching out. Ginsberg is happy, and finds it hard not to be (“I’m happy”; “finally made it”; “it’s hard to eat shit”) and seems like he’s trying to comfort Kerouac. Specifically “Have you comforted him?” is located in the same place in Catallus’ poem as “Ah don’t think I’m sickening.” in Ginsberg’s poem.
The most obvious similarity (other than the title) are the lines “I am angry with you. Is this how you treat my love?” from Catallus and “You’re angry with me. For all my lovers?” from Ginsberg. The emotion and responses in these lines are opposites. There are a few other lines that reference the original poem, like the imagery that an “eternal boy / walks on the streets” calls back to “more and more as days and hours pass” and the joy “like Heaven” contrasting with the “tears of Simonides” (another poet).
The similarities between the two poets are also interesting to think about!