The effect of the echo. A text linguistic approach to Catullus carmen 63

A text linguistic analysis of the narrative structure of Catullus 63 attempts, in the first half of this paper, to provide a better insight into the extraordinary nature of this poem as a narrative. On the basis of this analysis it is observed that the `narrative event structure¿ is in fact subservient to what is called the `thematic structure¿ of the poem, in which the devices of contrast and repetition play an essential role. The second half of the article elaborates on the all-pervasive use of repetition in the poem and the implications of this observation for its interpretation, leading up to the conclusion that in Catullus 63 repetition is a theme (or aim) in itself.