Catallus' Poetry

Reading Catallus' poetry was a very unique experience. It wasn't what I was expecting after having just read Sappho's poetry, which tended to be more subtle and open to interpretation. It was definitely much easier to read, since Catallus had no problem with saying exactly what he meant in no uncertain terms. I was rather surprised when I read the first couple at the kind of language he used, but it fits his style. A lot of his insulting poems about his friends are quite funny, and I found that his poem which copies Sappho's almost word-for-word was more a tribute to Sappho than an insult. He takes her words and gives the poem an entirely different feel by adding the second part on where Lesbia berates him for lazing around and writing the first part. Catallus was also easier to read in general because the poems were available in their entirety as opposed to a fragment here and a fragment there like Sappho's poems, with the added difficulty of having to infer what she may have meant in the missing spots.