Ava Ratcliff (2026) | Greek and Latin, Comparative Literature
For her SURF project, Ava studied Catullus 64, a short Latin epic poem often discussed for its influence on later works like Virgil’s Aeneid. Rather than focusing mainly on how the poem connects to other classical texts, her research explored how Catullus 64 works on its own through its structure, language, and imagery. In particular, she became interested in the poem’s surprising representations of trees and the natural world, opening up new ways of thinking about environment, art, and human emotion in Latin poetry.
How did your research question or process change over the course of the summer?
I knew that my research would center on Catullus 64, which is the longest work of the Late-Republican Latin poet Catullus. I also knew that I would focus on Gail Trimble’s 2025 edition and commentary of the poem. Working with this edition was really exciting for me because there are many textual changes between Trimble’s text and the 1958 text of R.A.B Mynors. I believed that these changes dramatically shift our experience of the poem and so I wanted to explore this shift during my summer research. I found research questions through my feelings of disjuncture or strangeness within the text. When I didn’t understand something, I asked: Why is this here? What makes it feel challenging? How can I work with the text towards an understanding? One question I kept returning to was an emendation of the word exturbata (disturbed, driven away) to exstirpata (uprooted). This small change shifts how we understand a tree in a climactic moment of the poem. Thinking through this change guided me towards my eventual focus on the poem’s surprising representations of trees and other environmental features.
What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?
I struggled with articulating the stakes of my research. What makes my understanding of this poem unique? How am I participating in a broader academic conversation? What makes this conversation valuable? One answer that I’ve found is poetry and criticism are forms which model engagement with the world around us. Poetry is valuable for its own sake, not necessarily for a didactic goal. At the same time, I appreciate how thinking about poetry has changed how I interact with the world. I hope that my research and criticism can affect how others understand a text and its extensions.
What was one of the most exciting aspects of your research project that you were able to pursue?
One of most exciting aspects of my research project was finding Brandon Brown’s The Poems of Gaius Valerius Catullus. I found this translation of Catullus’ work completely by chance in Moe’s Books (I feel that Moe’s is particularly wonderful because I always find books that may not be what I’m looking for, but are exactly what I need). Brown sets his translation of Catullus 64 in San Francisco. It was so exciting to see both Catullus and the Bay Area defamiliarized through their unexpected conjunction. I’m really looking forward to Brown’s reading at Berkeley’s Lunch Poems series at the end of this semester!
Did your research entail any travel? Fieldwork? Use of new technology, novel equipment or methodologies?
Most of my travel was between my apartment and Doe Library. Because I was researching a poem, I just needed access to the text and a quiet place to write. One of the most rewarding parts of focusing on a single poem was that I could eventually recall large portions of it and thus brought it with me as I went about my day. In the summer, I enjoyed thinking about Catullus as I walked the Fire Trails, rode the BART, and swam at Strawberry Canyon pool. Perhaps considering Catullus within the Bay Area landscape pushed me to explore ecocriticism as a critical methodology.
What skills did you develop that you didn’t have before?
One skill that I tried to develop was patience. Almost every time we met in the summer, my advisor would tell me to slow down. I needed to sit with the text more and try to understand it on its own terms instead of bringing my own expectations to it. While I sometimes felt frustrated in those moments, I look back and am so grateful that I spent so much time (and I could have spent more!) reading and rereading before forming my own conclusions. Also, I learned how to use Zotero!
Have you had any opportunities emerge for you as a result of your summer research?
Yes, the main opportunity which came from this summer research was my Honors Thesis in the department of Ancient Greek & Roman Studies. In this thesis, I narrow down the work that began this summer by focusing on how the poem situates environmental features in a dialogue with human characters and art objects. I feel really fortunate to continue developing these ideas with my SURF advisor, Ellen Oliensis, who is now the advisor for my Honors Thesis. Additionally, I have benefited from the support of the Townsend Center’s Honors Thesis Workshop, which has created a valuable space to collaborate with peers across disciplinary boundaries.
Are you thinking about or currently applying to graduate school or scholarships to support future research?
Yes! I am so excited to pursue an MPhil in Classics at Cambridge next year. I am especially grateful to the Society for Classical Studies for funding my graduate study through the Lionel Pearson Fellowship. During my MPhil, I will continue thinking about trees in Latin poetry, as well as explore budding interests in translation and textual criticism. After this year at Cambridge, I will return to the United States for a PhD in Classics.
How did participating in the SURF (specifically the programming–the research cluster meetings and workshops) support your research process or feelings of preparedness?
The research cluster meetings and workshops taught me how to communicate my research to a broader community. I also appreciated how the fantastic Arts & Humanities mentor, Danielle Stephenson, focused some of her workshops on critical and disciplinary histories. Her workshops helped me conceptualize the connections between different methodologies and introduced me to ones which I hadn’t previously considered.
What was it like working with your faculty mentor/ research advisor?
I feel so fortunate to work with my advisor. I first encountered Catullus 64 in a weekly Latin sight-reading workshop which she led. From the beginning, the questions that she asked and the mode of reading which she modeled have been tremendously valuable for my work. Her feedback consistently pushes me to become a better researcher, literary critic, and writer.
What resources or opportunities provided by the program were most valuable to you?
Time was most valuable resource provided by SURF. This fellowship gave me the opportunity to dedicate two months solely to thinking about one poem. With this time, I could test out different approaches to the poem (such as different translations, critical editions, etc), including many which I might have overlooked if I were pressed for time due to coursework and other semesterly commitments.
How did being part of this program support or shape your research experience?
As a part of SURF, I was able to connect with peers working in different academic fields. This interdisciplinary collaboration shaped my research experience in two ways. First, it helped me clarify the specific methodological expectations of my discipline as I justified my approach to peers who were not as familiar with research in Classics. Second, it introduced me to new questions and thought processes which I hope to bring to my future work. This interdisciplinary collaboration will be one of my main takeaways from the program!