Balance in Catullus 70 and 72

Both Catullus 70 and Catullus 72 refer to an unreachable balance between what Lesbia sees between them and what Catullus sees between them. Lesbia has a more realistic view in which they are only enjoying each other's company for the sake of leisure. Catullus, on the other hand, refuses to accept that they are experiencing anything less than a full romantic relationship.

In Catullus 70, Catullus writes, "dicit: sed mulier cupido quod dicit amanti, in vento et rapida scribere oportet aqua (lines 3-4)," which basically means that men should be careful not to believe what their lovers say in the act and to "write [it] in wind and water," as it should figuratively flow away immediately in the ever-moving current that both wind and water possess. This is basically his way of saying that the passionate words Lesbia uses with him while bonding are to be taken cum grano salis. This fact is, of course following his claim that Lesbia once said that she'd rather be with him than Jupiter, a statement that he had believed to be true until he learned it to be untrue. Their strong polarizations of these thoughts show that they are not budging from their stances to find a happy conclusion, much like the House Republicans and the supporters of the Affordable Care Act right now.

In Catullus 72, Catullus basically backs up his claim in 70 by saying that he used to love her with a deeper emotional respect, but now he feels that she is undeserving of such respect, but he still loves her passionately. He says, "dilexi tum te non tantum ut vulgus amicam, sed pater ut gnatos diligit et generos. nunc te cognovi: quare etsi impensius uror, multo mi tamen es vilior et levior," (lines 3-6). When he says that he loved her as a father loves his sons, he's saying that he emotionally respected and supported her, and that it wasn't about the certain things they did together, as that would be quite weird between a father and his son. He then clarifies this by saying how even though he feels more passionately for her, she is worth less to him. He yearns for her physical affection more now, but he has lost that respect he once had as she shows herself to be a very popular person.

This struggle where Catullus wants her to be his lifelong romantic partner, but Lesbia wants only to have fun with him leads them to an awkward impasse from which neither side is willing to compromise at all (although if one of them does, it's probably going to be Catullus since Lesbia probably would care probably very little to lose one of her (according to Catullus 11) 300 lovers whereas Catullus would not want to lose the little he has with Lesbia). This balance will never be able to find a middle ground, either one must lose or neither can win.