Catullus 51

“Fragment 31” by Sappho (610-570 B.C.E.)

Sappho is one of the most prolific and well-regarded ancient Greek poets. Though only about 650 of her lines of poetry survive, her lyric and erotic works have inspired poets for thousands of years. “Fragment 31” is a surviving snippet of one of Sappho’s poems; it is the work Catullus adapted for “Catullus 51.” The first three stanzas of the two poems are nearly identical. The different genders of the works’ two speakers, however, lead to different interpretations. In Sappho’s original, it describes her homosexual love for an unidentified young woman. Catullus’s choice of the name “Lesbia” is likely an allusion to Sappho, who was born on the island of Lesbos.

“Catullus 5” by Catullus (64-54 B.C.E.)

“Catullus 5” is another of Catullus’s poems directed toward Lesbia. Written in a more traditional Latin hendecasyllabic verse, or verse organized in lines of 11 syllables, this poem provides a distinct perspective on Catullus’s relationship with Lesbia. Instead of focusing on the speaker’s despair and jealousy, “Catullus 5” depicts the relationship at the height of their mutual affection. Much of the poem, like early relationships, is concerned with the exchange of innumerable kisses. This work also demonstrates Catullus’s characteristic playfulness through the speaker’s absurd conceit that the couple can “mix [their kisses] all up” (Line 11) so that “no one can be jealous” (Line 12) of their love.

Aeneid by Virgil (29-19 B.C.E.)

Virgil is representative of how poetry changed a generation after Catullus and the Neoteric poets. Though the Neoterics were not the dominant poetic voices of their generation, they influenced much later Latin poetry. Virgil’s epic Aeneid is indicative of this influence. Though Virgil’s poem shares more in common with the dominant epic genre and its focus on gods and heroes, it combines these elements with the lyrical asides of the Neoterics to create a monumental work for Latin poetry.

“Sonnet 104” by Petrarch (1330-1360)

Only two copies were made of the sole surviving manuscript of Catullus’s poetry. One of those copies was preserved and resides in the Bodleian Library. The other copy was the property of the Italian poet Petrarch before it, too, was lost. Petrarch’s sonnets are among the most influential in the history of poetry. Petrarch’s sonnets also happen to share many similarities with Catullus’s surviving works. “Sonnet 104” showcases many of these similarities, including the speaker having “no tongue” (Line 9) at the thought of his beloved. Petrarch’s most famous works deal with his unrequited love for a woman named Laura.