Petrarch's sonnet 61 and Catullus's poem "Wretched Catullus, leave off the playing fool" both explore themes of unrequited love and the pain of rejection. While Petrarch's sonnet focuses on the speaker's internal struggles and longing for his beloved, Catullus's poem is more direct in its criticism of the beloved's actions and the speaker's emotional turmoil. Both works showcase the complexities and emotional intensity of love and heartbreak.