How did Alexandrian poetry influence Catullus and the neoterici?

The neoteroi (or "new poets"), including Catullus, were a group of poets who sought to move away from the traditional, didactic-patriotic style of Latin poetry by emulating the sophisticated, refined models of the Alexandrian Greek school.1

Alexandrian influence, particularly that of the poet Callimachus, fundamentally shaped their aesthetic in several ways:

• Literary Craftsmanship: The neoteroi adopted the Alexandrian emphasis on consummate artistry, virtuosity, and meticulous refinement, rejecting the ponderous meters and excessive alliteration of earlier Latin epics.12
• New Genres: They favored concise, miniaturistic forms such as the epyllion (brief epic), epigrams, and lyrics over long-form didactic works.12
• "Art for Art's Sake": By prioritizing self-expression and light, sophisticated entertainment, they introduced an aesthetic attitude often described as "art for art's sake" into Latin literature.1
• Direct Adaptation: Catullus famously translated and adapted Alexandrian works, such as Callimachus’s Lock of Berenice, and hailed works like Gaius Helvius Cinna’s Zmyrna as models for the movement.123