Blog post 7

One of the theme that Horace and Catullus both share is about love. The way Horace expresses love is more restrained and distanced whereas Catullus illustrates love more emotionally and delightfully. In the poem 11 of Horace, he tries to distance himself from love physically and mentally. Horace shows that he is not comfort with the love he has. To him “It gives no joy to me as once it did Pettius, to write little verses in the throes of love.” Again he emphasizes that love is hurting him as he denotes “Heavens! how unkind they were to me” and expresses its effect physically as “it was hard---it broke my hips and ribs.” Horace poem lacks in expression of delight in love. The words he uses to express love is rough and very strong. Also he is very straightforward with his love expression and writes that love is not to be stayed still. Horace writes “another passion might, for some lovely girl, or a slender boy with his long hair tied up behind in a knot” expressing that “another passion” of love can be given towards the others with no obsession. On the other hand, Catullus expresses love very emotionally and shows he is very into a single woman. He writes poems about love that he feels no shame even if his partner is on an affair. In Catullus poem 5, he illustrates that his love has reputation and therefore, no matter what curses are poured to them, they will go through “another thousands then hundred” kisses. His expressions are very emotional and his expressions illustrates the in-depth of his love into his partner. In contrast to Horace where he gives up love with ease, Catullus cannot. For example, as Lesbia, his lover, leaves him, he knows that she no longer loves him but still he keeps hope that she will return as he kept asking “Who’ll now pursue you, still admire you for your looks? Whom will you love now?” Horace and Catullus hold the idea that love is something that change but the way they expresses differs.