Gotye And Catullus Comparison

Love is universal and thus has long been a prominent theme in lyrical works. Every elements of it -from its intensity to its pleasure- have been featured at one point or another in poems and songs. This holds true for a romance’s ending as well; specifically, many poets throughout history have chosen to express the surge of emotions that subsequently occurs with an unfortunate breakup. In his 8th poem, Latin poet Catullus wrote of the internal struggle and the mess of feelings he had after his relationship with Lesbia ended. In 2011, Australian songwriter Gotye released a song “Somebody That I Used to Know” also about a man’s experience with a recent breakup. In both poetry, Catullus and Gotye display the ending of love and its complex and lasting effects on a person.
They both show the lead figure acknowledging his past time with his once beloved as great, creating a feeling of longing. In his poem, Catullus repeats the phrase “Bright suns once shone for you” (Fulsere… soles) to describe his days with Lesbia. This suggests that despite their relationship ending he still looks back at his experience with her fondly and is currently suffering without her with him. Gotye in the character that he plays in his song is the same. He too reminisces about the past, saying how “Now and then [he] think of when [they] were together” and how he used to tell “[himself] that [she was] right for [him].” Like Catullus, Gotye thinks of the days with his love as being much better than now. Both poets express a desire for a return to the past as part of breakup