Poetry for Students, Volume 31

Greeks, aesthetics were about the merging of sense
stimulations to create beauty. Beauty could be per-
ceived via sight, sounds, and smells. Beauty was
also considered pure, a notion that in turn evoked
pleasure. The burning incense, the smells of apple
blossoms and roses, the sounds of water murmur-
ing in the stream and leaves gently rustling, the sight
of spring flowers and a meadow for horses, all
stimulate the senses and portray the beauty of the
Greek aesthetic. Each of these things is only a brief
image, an incomplete scene, made more so by Sap-
pho’s poem itself being a fragment. These frag-
ments of images stimulate the imagination, which
was considered an important element of the Greek
aesthetic, and as a result, Sappho’s readers are able
to imagine the beauty of this idyllic garden. When

the goddess pours wine into the golden cups, taste is

added to complete the picture. The imagined gar-

den is no longer a place of fragmented images; it has

become a real place, where Aphrodite will come to

be worshipped. Sappho’spoem is a clear example of

the Greek aesthetic at work.

Importance of Community

Sappho and the young women of her group,

whether students, admirers, or friends, created

a community in which women celebrated and

worshipped together. In her ‘‘Fragment 2,’’ Sap-

pho describes an Eden-like garden, a place of per-

fection, in which the poet’s community of women

assembles for a celebration to honor the goddess

Aphrodite. The garden is a private place where

TOPICS FOR

FURTHER

STUDY

 Artists are often inspired by poets to create

some of the most beautiful art imaginable.

Spend some time looking through art books

in the library and select a picture or illustra-

tion that you feel best illustrates the images in

Sappho’s poem. Then, in a carefully worded

essay, compare the art that you have selected

to Sappho’s poem, noting both the similarities

and the differences between art and poetry.

 Select a poem by any twentieth-century

female author and compare it to Sappho’s

‘‘Fragment 2.’’ In an essay, compare such

elements as content, theme, tone, and word

choice. In your evaluation of these two

works, consider the modernity of Sappho’s

poem. Do you think it is modern in tone

and content? How does it compare to the

more obviously modern poetry of the twen-

tieth-century author?

 Aphrodite was the subject of several of Sap-

pho’s poems. Aphrodite has also been the

subject of much visual art, having inspired

both paintings and sculpture. Research the

story of Aphrodite and then locate illustra-

tions of the goddess in sculpture or paint-

ings. Prepare a poster presentation using

your illustrations and what you have learned

about this goddess and her role in art and

literature.

Homer also wrote poetry about Aphrodite.

Read the ‘‘Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite’’ as

well as Sappho’s ‘‘Hymn to Aphrodite,’’ also

called ‘‘Ode to Aphrodite,’’ and then write

an essay comparing Homer’s image of Aph-

rodite to the images that Sappho creates.

‘‘Fragment 2’’ celebrates an impending mar-

riage. Research women’s lives and marriage

during Sappho’s time and prepare an oral pre-

sentation about what you have learned. Your

presentation should compare women’s lives on

Lesbos to what women might have experi-

encedinAthensinthesixthcenturyBCE.

One of the best ways tolearn about poetic form

is to write poetry. Imagine yourself in Sappho’s

life on a quiet island. Using her work as a guide,

write at least two poems that imitate her style,

structure, and content. When you have com-

pleted your poems, writea brief evaluation of

your work, comparing it to Sappho’s. What

have you learned about the difficulty or ease

of writing lyrical poetry?

Fragment 2