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.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
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.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Oh, that picture is perfect! I like your observations about the last stanza. I agree that it leaves us thinking of him as a little more rational, and less stalker-ish.
ReplyDeleteYou mention "love at first sight." Are there other types of love? If so, are these types necessarily exclusive? Is there a "higher love" (sorry Steve Winwood) than what he's describing here?