Poem 87

In poem 87, Catullus writes that no one is able to say they love another woman as much as he loves Lesbia. He says that no one has ever had more faith in love than he has in Lesbia’s love. Basically, Catullus is convincing Lesbia that no love is greater than theirs. When Catullus wrote this poem, it was fairly popular in it’s time because many people were able to connect with it. Every couple believes there love is better than everyone else’s so anyone who read this poem who was in love or once had been could connect to it. What makes this poem classical is that this connection that so many Romans had to the poem still exists today in that many lovers in this day and age can connect to the poem and believe there love is greater than anyone else’s love. Examples of this theme Catullus wrote about can be seen in many modern day romantic films or ‘chick flicks’. An example of this is in the romantic comedy Hitch. In the movie at the end, the main character is chasing after the girl he loves who is leaving and he tells her that their love is the greatest love he has ever felt and they have something special. Poem 87 is a classic because the idea of having a love greater than everyone else’s still exists today. The very thing that Catullus wrote about is now portrayed in movies like Hitch.