Stanza 2
The second stanza continues with a description of
the gardenlike setting that the poet has invited
Aphrodite to visit. The description of the garden
takes the reader beyond the apples to where roses
await the goddess’s arrival. The rose bushes are
expressions of love and romance, since the rose is
closely identified with Aphrodite as her personal
symbol. There are two sounds to soothe the god-
dess’s ear. One is the murmuring of water from a
nearby stream, and the other is the quiet rustling
of leaves as the breeze gently moves them. The
smell of apple blossoms and roses is combined
with the almost hypnotic sound of water murmur-
ing and leaves moving. The smells and sounds
create a place of sensuous drowsiness, such that
a state of lethargy is induced. In this stanza, the
visual is combined withthe senses of smell and
sound to create a sense of stuporous waiting, a
world placed on hold while the goddess’s arrival
is awaited.
Stanza 3
The third stanza of ‘‘Fragment 2’’ continues to
emphasize the gardenlike setting to which Aphro-
dite has been invited. Thus far, no human being is
present in the poem. The only sounds and sights are
those of idyllic nature. The meadow is filled with
spring flowers; although none are mentioned by
name, they are likely poppies, a spring-blooming
wildflower that was sacred to Aphrodite. The
meadow is also home to horses, which are also
linked in Greek myth to Aphrodite. The quiet
breeze completes the image of eternal spring
that the poet creates in this third stanza. The
sense is of time stopped, where the peacefulness
of nature continues with no interruption by
humankind, since thus far Sappho has not situ-
ated herself in the picture that she has created.
The image that the poet has created in the first
three stanzas is that of an ideal garden, a world in
which apple trees are abundant and where roses
and wildflowers are copious. The air hangs heavy
with the scents of wildflowers and apple blossoms.
It is spring, and nature is awakening. The sounds of
leaves moving gently in the breeze and water flow-
ing combine to form the lulling aural aspect of the
idyllic world in which perfect nature beckons. This
is the natural beauty of Sappho’s world, a luxurious
sanctuary that awaits the arrival of Aphrodite.
Stanza 4
Finally, in the first line of stanza 4, the goddess
whom Sappho first called in stanza 1 is identified.
Aphrodite is associated with Cyprus, and so the
goddess is confirmed as the object of Sappho’s
plea. Aphrodite is invited to pour wine into golden
cups. This nectar of the gods will celebrate the
young girl, who is soon to become a bride. This
celebration linked to marriage festivities is one of
joy and happiness. The flowers and wine are sym-
bolic of Eros and of the transition that the young
girlmakesassheleavesadolescence and becomes
a young wife. Although the garden is a private
place, it is also the place where Sappho gathers
her young female students, herthiasos,aGreek
word that refers to a group of believers—in this
case of a cult that worships Aphrodite with songs
and poetry. This is Sappho’s private community,
whose celebration of impending marriage is ample
cause for inviting Aphrodite.Themes
Cult of Aphrodite
The cult of Aphrodite was an important element
in Sappho’s poetry. The cult of Aphrodite was
first established in Cyprus in about 1500BCE,
when a temple was built on a hilltop to honor
her. Cyprus was so closely associated with Aph-
rodite that Sappho’s reference to her as Cyprian
in ‘‘Fragment 2’’ makes her identity quite certain.
Aphrodite was the goddess of beauty, love, and
fertility. Festivals to honor her in the spring were
common, since spring was most closely associ-
ated with rebirth and fertility. Aphrodite was
associated with procreation more closely than
with romance, and hence her inclusion in Sap-
pho’s poem was probably as part of a festival to
mark the forthcoming marriage of one of the girls
at Sappho’s school. The young women at Sap-
pho’s school, if indeed the community did incor-
porate schooling, formed athiasos, a cult that
worshipped Aphrodite with songs and poetry.
In ‘‘Fragment 2,’’ the poet entices the goddess to
come by burning frankincense and by promising
an earthly garden of delightful scents and great
beauty. When Aphrodite appears in the last
stanza, she is given the honor of pouring the
nectar of the gods into golden cups. All of Sap-
pho’s descriptions reinforce the prominence and
honor that Aphrodite merited in Greek culture.Greek Aesthetic
The images that Sappho creates in ‘‘Fragment 2’’
form an example of the Greek aesthetic. For theFragment 2