Poems of Sappho

Poems of Sappho

"The Tenth Muse" sings to both sexes of desire, rapture, and sorrow. This concise collection of the ancient Greek poet's surviving works was assembled and translated by a distinguished classicist.
Sign up to use

Reviews

Photo of Alexa Jade
Alexa Jade@galexiefaraway
2 stars
Mar 3, 2022

I don’t know if it’s because I have the ebook version or what but the formatting of this book was awful. there would be 4 words on one page then broken up text on the next. no organization at all. it was a decent intro to sappho but the formatting really threw me off.

Photo of Dearna Mulvaney
Dearna Mulvaney@wordsoftheroses
3 stars
Sep 2, 2021

Full review: https://wordsoftheroses.com/2018/06/1... This was my first taste of Sappho’s poetry and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It amazing just how much emotion comes across in these fragments. Of her 9 books, we only have 1 complete poem with the rest surviving a mix of single lines and short stanzas. Sappho’s style is quite different from the other ancient poets who survived like Homer or Virgil. Sappho’s poems feel more at home with modern poets. The gods do make an appearance in these lines but what is more prominent, isn’t the famous Greek heroes or monsters but is her sense of self and the ‘I’. Her rhythm and melody are direct and highly personal that it’s hard to imagine these lines are thousands of years old. Just goes to confirm that humanity at its core hasn’t changed much over the centuries. Her work is, I find, more relatable and accessible then other ancient literature I’ve read. If you haven’t read any of Sappho’s poetry, I highly recommend you do! She is all kinds of wonderful

Photo of Joyce
Joyce@j_k
3 stars
Sep 5, 2022

Highlights

Photo of Hika
Hika@hikaaa_bi

For those I have done good to Do me the greatest wrong.

Photo of Hika
Hika@hikaaa_bi

"No God in heaven I count so high As one that sits my darling by, And lists to her voice so sweet and glad And marks her winsome laugh; it bad This heart beat fast, I trow. For when I look on you, straightway My tongue is tied and nought may say, A fine flame runs me through every limb My ears go deaf and my eyes go dim, And the sweat drips down from my brow, Till palsy shakes me like a reed, And, pale as death, to death indeed Meseems I'm near-but now I'm fain to endure whate'er may be; For I am far across the sea.."

Mood