Love Lyric Poems Comparison

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Catullus and Sappho have a very similar way of writing. For example they both use imagery to intensify the feelings of the poem. Sappho says "a thin flame runs under/ my skin" meaning that the speaker blushes and turns red whenever she sees her lover (Sappho, "He is More than a Hero" Lines 11-2). And Catullus says "bright, golden Suns beamed down" which is a imagery to show the beauty of the girl's love (Catullus, "Wretched Catullus, Leave off Playing the Fool" Line 3). Both of these examples also show how both of these authors use very strong words to show the speaker's tone more proficiently. Both of these authors also use a surplus of metaphors, such as when Sappho says "my tongue is broken;/ a thin flame runs under/ my skin" ("He is More than a Hero" Lines 10-2) and when Catullus says "thus make your heart as hard as it can be" (Wretched Catullus, Leave off Playing the Fool" Line 11). Overall both of these authors had many similar ways of conveying emotion by using figure of speech and imagery. While Catullus and Sappho are similar, they also have their differences. While Sappho has a very loving and passionate tone, such as when she says "he is a god in my eyes" ("he is more than a hero" Line 1), Catullus has a more accusing and pleading tone, which is shown when he says "yet now she does not want you" ("Wretched Catullus, Leave off Playing the Fool" Line 9). Another example of Catullus' accusing tone is when he calls his lover "oh wicked thing" (Line 15) as he is upset at her and is calling her names. Despite the fact that Catullus and Sappho have many similar ways of writing, they use contrasting methods of getting the same idea across, such as the tone of the
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