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sydsnot71's review against another edition
3.0
The small amount of Sappho's poetry that survives and it's sometimes fragmentary nature means that this book feels like it is a hint of something. Something potentially magnificent, but whose real nature we might never get to see. It is, in its way, as magnificent a ruin as the Parthenon.
Sappho is the - only? - female Greek poet that we know of. Her work was both admired and copied. Some of it only survives as extracts contained within the works of other writers. Perhaps if she had been a man more of her work would have survived. But there are a lot of Ancient voices that we may never hear or who works are not entire.
The poems were translated by Aaron Poochigian, who also provides a large amount of editorial material that buttresses the surviving poetry of Sappho. He gives context - historical and literary - in a general form and more specifically around each poem and fragment. I don't think you could publish the surviving work (or most of it) without that context.
It seems - unless I have misunderstood - that a number of Sappho's poems were hymns, created to be sung/spoken by choruses at public ceremonies, like marriages, which I found interesting. I tend to assume that poems are written to be read but one forgets that Ancient Greece was a culture where poems were learned and recited not just read to oneself. Indeed, I'm sure I remember reading or hearing that a specific person is credited as the 'inventor' of reading in one's head. Whether this is true or not I have no idea. But I like the idea of all reading having a communal (and possibly religious) function.
Her poetry has its moments. I'm sure my highlights show that. There is a voice worth hearing.
Like a lot of ancient historical figures what we know of Sappho is uncertain. It is the educated guesswork of academics. Poochigian does his best to cover that too. With an introduction by the wonderful Carol Ann Duffy this is a book worth reading, but the absence at the heart of it - all that lost poetry - makes it a bittersweet experience. However, to quote her own words:
"I declare
That later on,
Even in an age unlike our own,
Someone will remember who we are."
And so we do.
Sappho is the - only? - female Greek poet that we know of. Her work was both admired and copied. Some of it only survives as extracts contained within the works of other writers. Perhaps if she had been a man more of her work would have survived. But there are a lot of Ancient voices that we may never hear or who works are not entire.
The poems were translated by Aaron Poochigian, who also provides a large amount of editorial material that buttresses the surviving poetry of Sappho. He gives context - historical and literary - in a general form and more specifically around each poem and fragment. I don't think you could publish the surviving work (or most of it) without that context.
It seems - unless I have misunderstood - that a number of Sappho's poems were hymns, created to be sung/spoken by choruses at public ceremonies, like marriages, which I found interesting. I tend to assume that poems are written to be read but one forgets that Ancient Greece was a culture where poems were learned and recited not just read to oneself. Indeed, I'm sure I remember reading or hearing that a specific person is credited as the 'inventor' of reading in one's head. Whether this is true or not I have no idea. But I like the idea of all reading having a communal (and possibly religious) function.
Her poetry has its moments. I'm sure my highlights show that. There is a voice worth hearing.
Like a lot of ancient historical figures what we know of Sappho is uncertain. It is the educated guesswork of academics. Poochigian does his best to cover that too. With an introduction by the wonderful Carol Ann Duffy this is a book worth reading, but the absence at the heart of it - all that lost poetry - makes it a bittersweet experience. However, to quote her own words:
"I declare
That later on,
Even in an age unlike our own,
Someone will remember who we are."
And so we do.
fth0tfitzgerald's review against another edition
Det meste sagde mig ærligt talt ikke så meget, men der var nogle få meget smukke digte imellem.
Det var dejligt at der var tillagt noter og forklaringer.
Det var dejligt at der var tillagt noter og forklaringer.
ireadsstuff's review against another edition
I think I’m gonna need to learn more about Sappho before I can enjoy this, it is more of a study piece than a ”enjoyable read” piece
kimmi's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
It's so lovely being able to look into the history of my sexuality even though it was over 2000 years ago!