Biographical information
- aristocratic society of Lesbos
- was exiled due to political activities of family -> went to Sicily
- married Cercylas of Andros -> dies young; Sappho never married again
- had one daughter, Kleis
- revered by Mytilenians who later made a coin in her image
- probably wrote nine books of poetry
- most possibly burned by the Church
- one of the first poets to write in the first person
- Sappho's circle -> two possibilities
2. Sappho was a priestess of Aphrodite
- "sapphic meter"
2. wider public
- joy of women's friendship/pain of separation
- mutual fulfillment -> unlike male poets, who wrote of male domination over women
- sets the standard for later love poetry
Marriage
- marriage was not bad, it was just a change that had to be accepted
*14 -> girl is unsure, Sappho reassuring; she will always remember her times with Sappho
*53 -> she is not a child anymore
* 54-5 -> Sappho reminds bridegroom how lucky he is; the marriage will be a source of joy
- Sappho appears to delight in marriage -> wants the girls in her circle to be happy
- does not speak of marriage disparagingly
*18 -> "overwhelming"
*19 -> "Shook her senses"
- distress is expected
*16
- Sappho seems to embrace her suffering
*love is so wonderful, she'll put up with the pain
*pain is part of the game
Homosexuality
- derives extreme pleasure in their company
*14 -> second stanza
*25
- is this homosexuality as we would see it?
*not the same -> wasn't seen as something bad or deviant
*isn't an "either/or" situation
*women enjoying women (sexually and nonsexually)
Concluding thoughts
- exploring women's sphere -> song, dance, emotions, marriage
*previously unexplored by women
- giving a voice to a silenced society
- women may be different than men, but they are worth hearing
Contact the author, Jen Snook
See Course Outline
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