2. Things you might not know.
• Born between 630 and 612 BC
• Greek lyrist (wrote her poems to be
performed with a lyre)
• An aristocrat
• Married a prosperous merchant
• Had a daughter named Cleis
3. Her work
In the 7th century BC, Lesbos was a cultural center and that
influenced her work.
Her works were very sensual, mainly love songs
The target of her affections was females
Her poetry was not condemned in her time, but disparaged by
scholars centuries later.
4. Praises
Plato praised Sappho for her work, asking to be taught a song,
“Because I want to learn it and die.”
Other poets like Michael Field, Marie Madeleine, and Amy
Lowell said Sappho had a strong influence over their work.
5. Findings
• Due to censorship, natural disasters, and
neglect much of her work was lost
• In the late 19th century they found
manuscripts dating back to the 8th century
AD in Nile Valley
• They found strips of papyrus containing
her poetry, from 1st century BC to 10th
century AD. They were being used to wrap
mummies, stuff animals, and wrap coffins.
They’re still being piece together today.
6. Piecing together what remains
Piecing together the poems are extremely difficult. There are many
approaches the translator can take on the language. The most difficult
part though, pieces are missing, so the translator could make their best
guess or trail off… But breaks in the poem that has an effect on the
reader, that’s like robbing us, like getting all the way up past the rising
action, almost to the climax, but it skips that, and you’re at the falling
action. WHAT?
7. Sappho has remained an important literary and cultural figure. Poets are
constantly inspired by her. She shows bravery through out her writing,
when she writes she does not hold back.
8. Works Cited
North, Alix. "Sappho circa 630 B.C.." Isle of Lesbos: Poetry of Sappho. Alix North, 1 Jan. 2007. Web.
21 Apr. 2014. <http://www.sappho.com/poetry/sappho.html>.
