Catullus, Catullus, Catullus, You Repeat As Often As the Sun Sets and Rises

Our good friend Catullus likes to use repetition and hyperbole as tools to get his point across in his work. In Poem 5, for example, he uses hyperbole when talking about the 3300 kisses he wants to share with Lesbia ("Da mi basia mille, deinde centum" etc.) He uses this to creatively and poetically explain that he simply wants to share romantic moments with his wonderful Lesbia.
Catullus also uses hyperbole in Poem 8 when he states "Iam Catullus obdurat." Really Catullus, really? This is one of the most exaggerated examples of hyperbole Catullus writes. He is not strong, he has never been strong. (This is made clear by the questions at the end of this poem, when he starts to realize that since Lesbia has left him, she will become someone elses.) He does this to make it seem like he is getting over Lesbia, and moving past all of their "relationship issues."
Poems 43 and 51 both show examples of repetition. In poem 43, Catullus repeats "nec" when describing the girl who is not nearly as beautiful as Lesbia. ("nec minimo puella naso, nec bello pede nec nigris ocellis" etc.) Then, in Poem 51, at the end Catullus repeats forms of otium, or leisure. ("Otium Catulle...otio exsultas...otium et reges.") Repetition is used in both of these poems as a way to show the extent to which the woman is not beautiful and the extent to which leisure will potentially destroy Catullus.
Catullus uses gods in Poems 70 and 72 for his moments of hyperbole. In Poem 70, he says "non si se Iuppiter ipse petat" and then in Poem 72 declares "Lesbia, nec prae me velle tenere Iovem." In  both of these cases, Catullus uses the hyperbole to describe the immense love Lesbia has/had for him.
Poems 75 and 83 both have non-literal forms of repetition. In Poem 75, Catullus shows repetition in using two conditional clauses in subsequent lines. ("si optima fias...omina si facias.") Poem 83 exhibits repetition in using numerous words with meanings like speaking, snarling, about to speak, etc. ("dicit...taceret...gammit...obloquitur...loquitur.") These non-literal forms of repetition still help Catullus get his point across without using the exact same words.
Finally, one of my favorite uses of hyperbole is from poem 85. This is found in the simple word "Nescio" in Line 2. Like Catullus doesn't know why he loves and hates Lesbia at the same time! This is such an exaggeration, since it is pretty clear that he understands that being in love with Lesbia causes him to have these massive emotional conflicts. Catullus is one dramatic man.

These examples are effective because they add drama to the poems. The examples of repetition are catchy, and create a sort of rhythm outside of the meter that helps the poem to be read in a more pleasing manner. The examples of hyperbole are so over-dramatic that many times they are simply silly. These two factors are attention-grabbing, and really pull at the reader, keeping them reading on. They come together to make the poems memorable and interesting, which means that readers will spend the time to analyze the poems and really take a look at what Catullus is trying to say. And isn't that the goal of poetry?