Catullus 69

Catullus is so critical of people. What makes him think that hes such a hot-shot? Sure this guy Rufus may smell a little, but did you have to go out and spend your time writing a poem about? Maybe this is Catullus's way of showing how much better he is than Rufus. He proves it to everyone and maybe even to himself that he is better than Rufus because he can write poetry. You have to be elegant to write poetry like Catullus and if you smell you are obviously not of high status. He does the same thing in poem 43, he outlines all the flaws of this girl to show that she shouldn't be considered beautiful. She isn't elegant enough for his taste. He is rude and mean throughout both poems, but there is one difference. Rufus may be able to help himself by cleaning up, but the girl in poem 43 can't change the way she looks. it just seems cruel that he would be so rude to someone over their looks. Maybe that goes to show what he looks for in a person, or maybe Lesbia. The poems aren't very alike in the way they are written either, in 43 he lists all of her bad qualities while in 69 he only talks about Rufus's one.