Sappho
➔ ‘And the longing consumes her flighty soul’ Loeb 97
◆ lyrics of love and desire, of loss and longing - Carol Ann Duffy
➔ ‘Sweet mother I cannot weave my web I am smitten by a boy because of slender
Aphrodite’ Loeb 102
◆ Weaving and its disruption was common theme to display a woman's mental
state e.g Penelope in the Odyssey
➔ ‘just like the hyacinth trodden on...and on the ground a purple flower’ loeb 105c
◆ thoughts and flowers bind females together - Poochigian
◆ The more a thing is bedecked with flowers, the more delightful it is for the
gods - Athenaeus
➔ ‘a handsome man is only good to look at a good man will become handsome’ loeb 50
◆
➔ ‘and I am greener than grass and i think that I am on the point of death’ loeb 31
◆ displays 'an amazing openness to youthful female sexuality - Freeman
➔ ‘you came just what I was looking for you soothed my soul which was burning with
desire’ loeb 48
◆ Fire imagery was often used in conjunction with desire eg Seneca
◆ "Desire, which is the child of want and ignorance, must be curbed and
dismissed." - Republic
➔ ‘Release me from this great distress’ loeb 1
◆ despite being sexual, there is an undertone to Sappho's poetry of longing and
sadness - Poochigian
➔ ‘I used to love you Atthis, but that was a long time ago i thought you were like a
clumsy little girl’ loeb 49
◆ Female homoerotic relationships were deeply shocking to the ancient world.
A practice without a name...except that of reviled and repressed perversion -
Goldhill
➔ ‘virginity virginity where have you gone you left me behind’ loeb 114
◆ Emphasis on bridal virginity simply as a form of masculine oppression -
Freeman
➔ ‘wealth without virtue can be a harmful neighbour a blend of the two however is the
height of happiness’ loeb 148
◆ Often speaks on specific material items ‘headband from Sardis’ ‘embroidered
sandals’
➔ ‘love which loosens the limbs once again shakes me...invincible creature that he is
loeb’ 130
◆ Sappho also focuses on the double sided nature of love’ Anne Carson
➔ ‘I take no pleasure from living a certain longing to die grips me’ loeb 95
◆ Emphasise the isolation of the individual...she shows us what it means to be
excluded and alone - Wilson
➔ ‘Whom do you want me to bring back to you this time? Who, Sappho, is hurting you
now?’ loeb 1
◆ shows an intensely personal interaction between Sappho and the goddess -
Freeman
➔ ‘And the longing consumes her flighty soul’ Loeb 97
◆ lyrics of love and desire, of loss and longing - Carol Ann Duffy
➔ ‘Sweet mother I cannot weave my web I am smitten by a boy because of slender
Aphrodite’ Loeb 102
◆ Weaving and its disruption was common theme to display a woman's mental
state e.g Penelope in the Odyssey
➔ ‘just like the hyacinth trodden on...and on the ground a purple flower’ loeb 105c
◆ thoughts and flowers bind females together - Poochigian
◆ The more a thing is bedecked with flowers, the more delightful it is for the
gods - Athenaeus
➔ ‘a handsome man is only good to look at a good man will become handsome’ loeb 50
◆
➔ ‘and I am greener than grass and i think that I am on the point of death’ loeb 31
◆ displays 'an amazing openness to youthful female sexuality - Freeman
➔ ‘you came just what I was looking for you soothed my soul which was burning with
desire’ loeb 48
◆ Fire imagery was often used in conjunction with desire eg Seneca
◆ "Desire, which is the child of want and ignorance, must be curbed and
dismissed." - Republic
➔ ‘Release me from this great distress’ loeb 1
◆ despite being sexual, there is an undertone to Sappho's poetry of longing and
sadness - Poochigian
➔ ‘I used to love you Atthis, but that was a long time ago i thought you were like a
clumsy little girl’ loeb 49
◆ Female homoerotic relationships were deeply shocking to the ancient world.
A practice without a name...except that of reviled and repressed perversion -
Goldhill
➔ ‘virginity virginity where have you gone you left me behind’ loeb 114
◆ Emphasis on bridal virginity simply as a form of masculine oppression -
Freeman
➔ ‘wealth without virtue can be a harmful neighbour a blend of the two however is the
height of happiness’ loeb 148
◆ Often speaks on specific material items ‘headband from Sardis’ ‘embroidered
sandals’
➔ ‘love which loosens the limbs once again shakes me...invincible creature that he is
loeb’ 130
◆ Sappho also focuses on the double sided nature of love’ Anne Carson
➔ ‘I take no pleasure from living a certain longing to die grips me’ loeb 95
◆ Emphasise the isolation of the individual...she shows us what it means to be
excluded and alone - Wilson
➔ ‘Whom do you want me to bring back to you this time? Who, Sappho, is hurting you
now?’ loeb 1
◆ shows an intensely personal interaction between Sappho and the goddess -
Freeman
