by Eliza Shadden

During the 6th century, there was a poet named Sappho from the island of Lesbos. The “Poetess” was known for her lyrical poetry, often accompanied by the musical instrument, the lyre (The New Yorker). Sappho was a prolific writer and is believed to have written about 10,000 lines of poetry; however, only 650 survived. Even though much of her poetry was lost in history, the fragments left are still read, shared, and appreciated by readers and scholars worldwide. Sappho was unique for her time because most, if not all of her poems were about love and, more importantly, her love for women. While often shrouded in religious imagery, the true significance of Sappho’s poetry is her powerful evocation of our shared human experience of love. 

In her eyes, nothing compares to love.

There is only one complete poem left by Sappho, her “Ode to Aphrodite.” In her poem, she is yearning for another woman’s affections but is not receiving them. She calls upon Aphrodite to give her the love she desires from her lover. Aphrodite acts as a cupid in Sappho’s situation. Sappho longs for this woman and feels that she needs a divine force to bring them together. This poem is really about her devotion to her lover. In a way, it is also a poem of devotion to love itself. It really encapsulates the feeling of unrequited love. It is clear that her love for this woman is not reciprocated when Aphrodite says, “if not now loving, soon she’ll even love against her will” (Rayor). Sappho desperately wants her lover to love her back, even if it means forcing her. Sappho’s feelings are very understandable and can speak to many readers. When one really loves someone, all one wants is for them to feel the same way. Unrequited love is a very painful experience, but most people can say they have had a taste of it. This poem of Sappho’s is so honest and familiar that it does not feel hard to understand, unlike many other ancient Greek poets. Sappho was not afraid to talk about both the highs and the lows of love. Her poetry was also unique in that it was not written in “homage to the gods or for political reasons…rather her work was of a personal nature and is celebrated for its passionate descriptions of emotion and simple lyrical beauty” (Keehnen). Sappho speaks to the universality of love in her “Lyre”: She argues that it is not an army of men or a fleet that is the fairest thing on earth, “it is whatever one loves.” In her eyes, nothing compares to love. 

Sappho’s sexuality is often focused on more than her poetry but is crucial in her significance. Something we get from Sappho is the word “Lesbian,” which means someone from Lesbos. Because of Sappho, the word “lesbian” means a woman who is attracted to other women. The word “sapphic,” borrowed from her name, is also often used by lesbian women. For women in Ancient Greece, getting married to a man and having children was the norm. However, men were allowed to have homosexual relationships depending on their status. During this time when Sappho lived, women actually had a little bit more freedom. Sappho was most likely able to live however she liked because of the “high esteem in which women were held on Lesbos and Sappho’s own unique personality” (Mark). Many of Sappho’s poems shine a light on a world unseen by men. Women could feel deep and passionate love for each other in a society separated by sex. Sappho’s sexuality has often been denied and debated throughout history. However, most classic historians strongly accept that she was a gay poet that openly talked about her homosexuality and expressed it in her poetry for others to hear. Her poetry proves that women were not just objects of men’s desire. Sappho’s expression of her sexuality gives historians a glimpse at the lives of gay women in ancient Greece and provides essential history about LGBTQ+ people. 

Her poetry is honest and quite relatable even to modern readers. For her relatability to transcend time and remain original is fascinating.

Sappho also reflected a lot on the individual human experience as well as femininity. Much of her time’s dramatic and epic poetry contrasts with her emphasis on “emotion, subjective experience, and the individual” (Poetry Foundation). She wrote from her perspective and talked about her personal experiences. Her poetry was also addressed to others more privately and intimately. She often performed and directed her poems to specific women or friends. She used her own name and her brother’s names in the texts. Sappho took ownership of her work, and her voice is evident in her work. Her poetry is honest and quite relatable even to modern readers. For her relatability to transcend time and remain original is fascinating. 

Even though not much is known about Sappho’s life, and we have very little surviving text to work with, her poetry was and is extremely important. There is so much humanity in Sappho’s work. She was a woman writing about real feelings and desires she had. What can be more human than the act of love? Through her work, we can learn a little more about queer women and more about human experience in general. Everybody experiences desire, passion, pain, and loss. Sappho wrote down her feelings and used her words to make beautiful lyrical poems. We can all learn something from Sappho and her work. She beautifully illustrated that love is universal and can expand across time and gender.

Works Cited 

Mark, Joshua J. “Sappho of Lesbos.” World History Encyclopedia, World History Encyclopedia, 29 Apr. 2022, https://www.worldhistory.org/Sappho_of_Lesbos/ 

Mendelsohn, Daniel, and Rebecca Mead. “How Gay Was Sappho?” The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2015, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/03/16/girl-interrupted 

Keehnen, Owen. “Sappho.” Edited by Victor Salvo, Legacy Project Chicago, https://legacyprojectchicago.org/person/sappho 

Rayor, Diane J. Sappho’s Lyre: Archaic Lyric and Women Poets of Ancient Greece. University of California Press, 1991. 

“Sappho.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation,  https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/sappho

created for HUM124 with Jeremy Phillips