AP Latin : Poetry
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Latin
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Example Questions
Example Question #78 : Poetic Syntax
Arma gravi numero violentaque bella parabam
edere, materia conveniente modis.
par erat inferior versus—risisse Cupido
dicitur atque unum surripuisse pedem.
'Quis tibi, saeve puer, dedit hoc in carmina iuris?
Pieridum vates, non tua turba sumus.
quid, si praeripiat flavae Venus arma Minervae,
ventilet accensas flava Minerva faces?
quis probet in silvis Cererem regnare iugosis,
lege pharetratae Virginis arva coli?
crinibus insignem quis acuta cuspide Phoebum
instruat, Aoniam Marte movente lyram?
sunt tibi magna, puer, nimiumque potentia regna;
cur opus adfectas, ambitiose, novum?
an, quod ubique, tuum est? tua sunt Heliconia tempe?
What is the role of the underlined word "arma" in line 1?
Direct object of "parabam" (line 1)
Subject of "parabam" (line 1)
Describes "bella" (line 1)
Ablative of instrument
Direct object of "parabam" (line 1)
The word "arma" comes from "armum," "armi," meaning that "arma" is the nominative or accusative plural form of this word. Since the verb does not take a plural subject, it must be in the accusative. In fact, it is the direct object of "parabam."
(Passage adapted from Amores by Ovid, I.1–15)
Example Question #261 : Sight Reading
Arma gravi numero violentaque bella parabam
edere, materia conveniente modis.
par erat inferior versus—risisse Cupido
dicitur atque unum surripuisse pedem.
'Quis tibi, saeve puer, dedit hoc in carmina iuris?
Pieridum vates, non tua turba sumus.
quid, si praeripiat flavae Venus arma Minervae,
ventilet accensas flava Minerva faces?
quis probet in silvis Cererem regnare iugosis,
lege pharetratae Virginis arva coli?
crinibus insignem quis acuta cuspide Phoebum
instruat, Aoniam Marte movente lyram?
sunt tibi magna, puer, nimiumque potentia regna;
cur opus adfectas, ambitiose, novum?
an, quod ubique, tuum est? tua sunt Heliconia tempe?
What is the role of the underlined word "Minervae" in line 7?
Describes "Venus"
Subject of "ventilet"
Describes "arma" (line 7)
Direct object of "praeripiat"
Describes "arma" (line 7)
The word "Minervae" comes from "Minerva," "Minervae." In the context of this sentence, it is clear that "Minervae" is describing "arma" in line 7. It could do this in either the dative or genitive case—either would be correct. The correct choice is "Describes 'arma.'"
(Passage adapted from Amores by Ovid, I.1–15)
Example Question #262 : Sight Reading
Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux, 5
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus, 10
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.
Which use of the subjunctive is "vivamus" in line 1?
Result
Optative
Hortatory
Purpose
Hortatory
"Vivamus" is an independent use of the subjunctive, ruling out the possibility of it being a result or purpose clause. You may translate "vivamus" as let us live, a phrase meant to urge someone to action. This is different from optative, in which "utinam" or some other word indicating a wish would be present. The correct answer is "hortatory."
Passage adapted from "Catullus 5," ln.1-13
Example Question #263 : Sight Reading
Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux, 5
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus, 10
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.
"Nobis cum" in ine 5 is an example of __________.
Zeugma
Ellipsis
Litotes
Anastrophe
Anastrophe
Typically in Latin, a preposition comes before its object, but here "nobis" comes prior to the word "cum" in the sentence. This inversion of the typical word order is an example of anastophe.
Passage adapted from "Catullus 5," ln.1-13
Example Question #264 : Sight Reading
Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux, 5
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus, 10
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.
"Da" in line 7 is an example of __________.
Adverb
Imperative verb
Noun in the vocative case
Noun in the nominative case
Imperative verb
The word "da" comes from the verb "do," "dare," "dedi," "datus." This is the imperative singular form of that word.
Example Question #265 : Sight Reading
Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux, 5
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus, 10
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.
What is the case of "senum" in line 2?
Genitive
Accusative
Nominative
Locative
Genitive
The word "senum" comes from "senex," "senis," a third declension noun. The "-um" ending only appears in the genitive plural form of this declension. Therefore, the answer is "genitive."
Passage adapted from "Catullus 5," ln.1-13
Example Question #266 : Sight Reading
Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux, 5
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus, 10
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.
What is the case of "fecerimus" in line 10?
Perfect
Future
Future perfect
Present
Future perfect
The word "fecerimus" comes from the verb "facio," "facere," "feci," "factus." It uses the perfect stem of this word, with the addition of the ending "-erimus." This is how you form the future perfect tense.
Passage adapted from "Catullus 5," ln.1-13
Example Question #267 : Sight Reading
Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux, 5
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus, 10
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus invidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.
"Dormienda" in line 6 is an example of a(n) __________.
adjective
perfect passive participle
adverb
gerundive
gerundive
The "-nd-" in "dormienda" is a clue that this word is either a gerund or gerundive. Gerunds in Latin, however, are nouns that only take second declension singular endings. Since this word has first declension endings and is acting as an adjective, we know that it is a gerundive.
Passage adapted from "Catullus 5," ln.1-13
Example Question #268 : Sight Reading
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.
"Iucundissime" (line 2) is an example of what type of word?
Superlative adverb
Pluperfect subjunctive verb
Perfect passive participle
Pluperfect infinitive
Superlative adverb
The word "iucundissime" comes from the word "iucundus," "a," "um," an adjective. For regular adjectives, the "-issimus/a/um/e" ending indicates a superlative.
(Passage adapted from "Catullus 14," ln.1-23)
Example Question #269 : Sight Reading
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.
What tense is "accipies" in line 9?
Present
Perfect
Future
Imperfect
Future
"Accipies" comes from the word "accipio, accipere, accepi, acceptus." It is a 3rd-IO conjugation verb. Since the ending of "accipies" is "-s" and it uses the present stem, it could only be either present, future, or imperfect tense. It does not, however, have the characteristic "-ba-" of the imperfect tense, and the present tense form of this word would be "accipis." It is in the future tense.
(Passage adapted from "Catullus 13," ln.1-14)
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