The Poems of Sappho

by Sappho

Sappho was a Greek lyric poet who lived on the island of Lesbos in the 7th century BCE. She was renowned for her poetry, which often focused on love and relationships. Unfortunately, much of her work has been lost over time, and only fragments of her poems have survived.

Despite the fragmentary nature of her work, Sappho's poetry has had a profound influence on literature and culture, and she is still celebrated as one of the greatest poets of all time. Her poetry is characterized by its intense emotional and sensual imagery, as well as its use of musical language and meter.

Some of Sappho's most famous poems include "Ode to Aphrodite," which describes the speaker's longing for the goddess of love to come to her aid in matters of the heart, and "Fragment 31," which speaks of the power of love to overcome even the most rational of minds.

Sappho's work has been translated into numerous languages over the centuries, and her influence can be seen in the works of countless poets and writers throughout history. 

Translated by Edwin Marion Cox.

Genres: Poetry, Classics, LGBT, Lesbian, Fiction, Love, Ebooks

47 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1910

About the author

Work of Greek lyric poet Sappho, noted for its passionate and erotic celebration of the beauty of young women and men, after flourit circa 600 BC and survives only in fragments.

Ancient history poetry texts associate Sappho (Σαπφώ or Ψάπφω) sometimes with the city of Mytilene or suppose her birth in Eresos, another city, sometime between 630 BC and 612 BC. She died around 570 BC. People throughout antiquity well knew and greatly admired the bulk, now lost, but her immense reputation endured.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sappho

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sappho is the gayest poet. Her name and work provide the source for not one, but two (2) common terms for romantic love between women ("sapphic," of obvious etymology, and the somewhat better-known "lesbian," derived from the island of Lesbos, where Sappho lived). I love Sappho not just because I'm a lesbian, but also because her poetry is incredibly beautiful. It's also incredibly gay. One of the less gay things she wrote, in "Love's Banquet," goes:

So to me and my Lesbians round me gathered,
Each made mine, an amphor of love long tasted,
Bid us drink, who sigh for thy thrill ecstatic,
Passion's full goblet;

We also get slightly more explicit gayness, e.g. in "Ode to Anactoria":

Tones that make the heart in my bosom flutter,
For if I, the space of a moment even,
Near to thee come, any word I would utter
Instantly fails me;

Vain my stricken tongue would a whisper fashion,
Subtly under my skin runs fire ecstatic;
Straightway mists surge dim to my eyes and leave them
Reft of their vision;

[...]

Overcome with kisses her faintest protest,
Melt her mood to mine with amorous touches,
Till her low assent and her sigh's abandon
Lure me to rapture.

Fun fact: scholars used to (and to some extent still do) argue whether Sappho was really gay, or just really fond of women. This is what happens when 2600 years of literary scholarship is dominated by men.

Previous review: The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath.
Next review: House of Leaves, by Mark Z. Danielewski.

[cynne★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i am just like sappho: greek and gay

[Emily Fullhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just know Sappho was meeeesssyyy

[DivaDiane SM · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recognize the importance of this collection of poetry and Sappho’s place in the pantheon of poets and I am glad I finally read some of them (this is not a complete collection).

I love poetry and read quite a lot of it. That said, I did not love these poems. They were nice enough, but a bit monotone and very same-y with just the names switched out. I wish I had had the leisure to read just one poem a day, because maybe they wouldn’t have struck me quite the same way.

In short, your mileage may vary!

[jacky · Rating 5 out of 5]

wunderschön

[Liza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I certainly liked more poems than others, but I felt pretty lukewarm about all of them. I like how Sappho describes love as almost painful sometimes. I was hoping her poems wouldn’t be quite so male-gazey but I was disappointed in that regard. She writes about her lovers a lot like a man would, especially in Damophyla and Erinna. I liked Gorgo, it captures the feelings of a lot of women towards unwanted but persistent suitors.

[iba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Has not my life been one sole hymn of thee,
One quivering chord on Love's harp overwrought?
My soul has trembled up to thee in thought,
Probed to its depth thy every ecstasy.

Are not my countless heart-beats each a vow,
Of tribute throbs a garland? For thy gain
The Fates have drenched my soul in passion's rain,
Pieria's roses twined about my brow.

sappho is a genius. her poems have such a rhythmic beauty to it. sapphic love and yearning has never been better described in any other writing or saying.

[victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’M IN LOVE WITH SAPPHO

[Jake Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

While it is easy to say that Sappho was a very messy woman and deeply in touch with her sexuality, knowing exactly what she wanted and how she wanted it, I also cannot unthink the idea that she may have had a foot fetish, especially after my partner commented on her apparent fondness for feet while I was reading The Daughter of Cyprus. The “gleaming foot” part, along with the almost excessive detail given to the fabric of her sandal wrapped around her ankle, particularly stood out to me. I was also surprised by the more emotionally raw moments in her poetry, such as her longing for her brother to return safely after what were presumably not the kindest last words exchanged before he sailed to Egypt in search of his lost love. I felt Sappho’s desperation deeply and could easily imagine standing beside her on her balcony, endlessly gazing out at the vast sea before her.

[Maddie]

Not rating this one, cause I’m not really sure how I’d rate it lol
I’m trying to get more into poetry, and this helped me realize how much I can enjoy it when it’s not something I’m being forced to read for school lol

[Aaron Schuschu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure if actually Sappho or just when the British went through that phase of fangirling the Greeks.

[Kara Whicker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to it and it was pretty mid. Would way rather of read it

[Daniel Tol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Surprisingly, reading passionate love poetry doesn’t really make you feel anything or relate if you’re never been in love and are basically a virgin. Go figure :p

[Angi Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank sappho for beautiful sapphic poetry

[nethescurial · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thousands of years ago Sappho so completely perfected the process of turning passion and yearning into art that it's almost insane how anyone has even fucking tried since then. That's hyperbolic obvs but it's incredible how timelessly this captures the often painful feeling of madness that passion can bring, especially in matters of love [between humans, from humans to the gods, etc]. Just chock full of unbelievably striking imagery and sensory details as well, these are words to just swim in. Probably the perfect work to read during spring and summer nights as well. Writing about good poetry is pointless!!

[Bishop Juneblood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite old and free translation of Sappho. The librivox reader for the free audiobook version also did a fantastic job.