Poem 72

Catullus's tone in this poem has drastically changed from previous poems. From his critical tone in Poem 43 of the girl with not so small a nose, or his passionate tone in Poem 5, asking how many kisses are enough, Poem 72 is filled with a new tone, that did not fail to shock me. The tone in Poem 72 is one filled with disappointment at such an intense level, that you could not pay me a million dollars to take Lesbia's place right now. Catullus's previous poems have all centered around his passion and adoration for Lesbia, and now one can only wonder what dramatic event could cause the change of his perspective. The disappointment reaches another level, when Catullus expresses how much he truly loved Lesbia: "Dilexi tum te non tanum ut vulgus amicam, sed pater ut gnatos diligit et generos." Catullus's love is comparable to that of an average man loving his girlfriend, but also the respectable love a man has for sons/step-sons. You would think that the level of respectable love for Lesbia would decrease, which is true, but the raw, passionate love he had for Lesbia has grown, even more.
Catullus executes his message through balancing two ideas: Catullus's compares himself to Jupiter when speaking about Lesbia's compassion for him. Catullus also, in the last line admits and compares his feelings of less respect for Lesbia, but more passionate love for her. Also, in the beginning, he says that Lesbia used to say she knew him, but in line five, Catullus contrasts with "now I know you," comparing him truly realizing Lesbia's character, with her used to knowing who Catullus was. Through balancing two ideas, Catullus juxtaposes his realizations about Lesbia now.