Poem 86

At first glance, reading Poem 86, I learn alot more about Catullus and the qualities/characteristics he values. Within the first one to two lines of the poem, he expresses which qualities in Quintia he sees as beautiful: "Mihi candida, longa, recta." Quintia is fair-skinned, tall, and stately. It kind of disappoints me, though, seeing that Catullus views Quintia as being beautiful because she is wealthy enough to sit inside all day, allowing her slaves to do all the work, presevering her fair skinned-ness. Prior to this, I thought Catullus would have more depth to his values, and perhaps not classify beauty by wealth. However, after continuing to read the poem, I see that he acknowledges these qualities as beautiful, individually. He does not consider Quintia a beautiful woman, altogether, as he does with Lesbia. Lesbia is completely beautiful, "the entire package" if you will; inside and out. Lesbia attains wit and humor: ""nam nulla venustas, nulla in tam magno est corpore mica salis," which he sees compulsory to be beautiful. Poem 86 reminds me of Poem 43, because he does not view a woman, whom the entire province deems beautiful, as being pretty. Though he critiques mainly her physical features, I can bet that woman did not obtain humor, charm, or wit: characteristics especially important to Catullus.