Catullus VII

Oh how strange it is
To hear about you and her
Kissing all the time

Catullus 43

This is the first poem where Lesbia isn't the main focus of the poem, yet she is still involved in it. In his opinion this girl is horrid, but whose to say that Lesbia isn't? We only have Catullus' point of view on what is beautiful. He is saying that thinking this girl is pretty is wrong and that the people who think this are crazy. He asks if the province calls her beautiful and if she is compared to Lesbia. If he is questioning why so many people think she is pretty then she must be somewhat attractive. Catullus may be the crazy one, or he might be blinded by his love for Lesbia. Maybe he only has eyes for her, but why would he want everybody to like Lesbia instead of this girl? He talks about Lesbia as if he possesses her, so maybe he wants to make these people jealous because she is his? He might be trying to make up for all the mean things Lesbia said about him in Catullus 83, to prove to them that she doesn't really think those things. All in all I think Catullus just wants more attention to the fact that he won Lesbia, he wants to boast but no one is listening.

Catullus 103

Lesbia has actually spoken to Catullus! Who would have known from the stalkerish poems he has written so far? He always appears to be off in the distance and finally hes up close and very personal. Not only is Lesbia talking to him but she is also saying she is in love with him. It seems too good to be true and it just might be. Catullus really could be insane and making this whole love story up. This poem is a lot different from the others. He seems almost positive that Lesbia is in love with him in the first three and when she actually says she is he gets apprehensive. He has to ask the gods to make sure she is telling the truth when it seemed like he already knew. The thing that is the same throughout all the poems is how much he wants to be with Lesbia. His love for her has not changed and he prays to the gods because of it. Catullus doesn't tell us what happened to Lesbia's husband or if she even has one anymore. Maybe he hasn't thought that far ahead in his fantasy...

Catullus 83

This is the first poem that Catullus lets us know that Lesbia has a husband, and the first that shows Lesbia even knows he exists. He is convinced that because Lesbia is saying awful things to her husband that she is trying to hide her love for Catullus from him. We don't know if this is true or if Catullus is crazy. While Catullus is talking about her husband he calls him a foolish man and a mule. This shows a bit of jealousy on Catullus's part. Jealousy seems to be anoverriding theme in the first three poems we have read. He is jealous of everyone who gets to be around Lesbia. It seems a little bit creepy to me that Catullus knows she is saying these things just like he creepily watched her and her husband talking in Catullus 51. I feel like he is always sitting in the background watching her. Even in Catullus 2 he is watching her play with her pet bird. Even though Catullus seems happy about Lesbia saying these things it hurts him as well. I don't think anybody could listen to someone cursing about you nonstop and not be negatively affected by it. These feelings show that Catullus isn't completely blinded by the thought of Lesbia being in love with him he knows it might not be true.

Catullus II

Although in this poem Catullus speaks of the relationship between a woman and her pet, it still represents the same longing as Catullus 51. He wishes to be like the lady in this poem like he wishes to be the man in the other. He wants to play with the bird to make him happy just like he wants to be with the woman to make him happy. In this poem he is talking to the sparrow which you find out early on, in Catullus 51 you do not know who he is talking about until the 7th line. Catullus is interesting in losing his pain and sorrow. He says he wants to 'lighten the gloomy cares of his heart,' just like his lady does with her pet sparrow. This poem shows that one can take joy in such a thing like playing with a pet, which is still true today. He talks about feelings rather than events that occurred during that time period, making the poem timeless.

Catullus LI

In this poem Catullus describes the symptoms of love at first sight. What he describes are feelings that many people still feel today. He explains how incompetent you can become when faced with someone you like, or how jealous. Who hasn't had one of those experiences? Catullus loves this woman and all he wants is her. He expresses this through is adoration of her 'sweet smile' and his reactions. He is writing this poem to Lesbia, though you don't find this out until line 7. He intriugues you by not letting you see the whole picture right away. I pulls back the picture one element at a time. This poem was actually a translation of one of Sappho's poems, except for the last few lines. He adds them on showing that even though he loves her he can still think rationally.