Catullus 83

In Poem 83, Catullus throws us a huge shocker. I felt like I was watching a soap opera! Lesbia, who is apparently married, is talking smack to her husband about Catullus. However, instead of being angry that she is saying these mean things about him, Catullus is overjoyed. The way he sees it, it's better that Lesbia remembers him and talks smack, than for her to forget him and be silent. Also, to add to the shock factor, Catullus believes that Lesbia has a secret burning passion for him. 

I believe that if Catullus was a modern man, he would be locked in a white padded room with a small window. It seems that in this poem, he has taken his infatuation for Lesbia to the whole next level. First of all, he should just give up, because Lesbia is already taken. And second, since when is it sane to create stories in your mind that someone, although they talk smack about you in reality, has a burning passion for you. I think Catullus would benefit by meeting some other women and trying to get over Lesbia. So far it seems that she is a lost cause.