A Woman’s Voice: the Poems of Sappho of Lesbos

A Womans Voice The Poems of Sappho of Lesbos(6th deoxycytidine monophosphate B. C. ) Sappho Translated by Stanley Lombardo Alley Miller- HIS 100 Mid-Term Exam Essay Sappho of Lesbos lived in a cartridge clip in Greece where we have very little record of egg-producing(prenominal) accomplishments. Her poetry tranced stylistic poetry of the time and drop be compared in composition and style to Elizabeth Barrett Browning or Richard Brautigan of a more mod era.Perhaps, what may be most notable about Sappho is that not except did her work influence poets much later, but they were widely revered end-to-end the ancient world, even when umteen more modern pistillate poets were looked down on with distain. One must ask, composition reviewing her work what can we learn about Sapphos life, the historical context in which she lived, andthe influence of her status as a woman from her poetry? Many poets by means of history have concealed their true sexual identity to contact a status of acceptance in the greater population, but there is no indication in Sapphos poems that would lead us to swear she made a similar choice. In addition, other than the possible inclinations toward an leader toward other women, her poetry is vastly conforming to the feminine idea. She did not disturb to tegument her sexuality or her gender. This speaks to the reader that, perhaps, ancient Greece was widely great(p) views of sexuality. Obvious reference to fe staminate-female affection, yet still openly accepted by her peers.This affection did not conform to the heterosexual intent stereotype that many same sex relationshipsdepicted by other sources conform to. This heterosexual role idea usually dictates that no matter the gender of two lovers wholeness must adhere to the masculine role while the other to the feminine. In Sapphos poetry we do not see this. Throughout, her poetry she focuses largely on women, referring to Aphrodite, a female lover, the women that surround soldiers, and Helen of Troy. She describes each as having feminine qualities with beauty, gentility, and fragility.However, she still describes herself with the same qualities and even humbles herself by begging the god Aphrodite and bolsters male dominance in Poem 20 by referring to the man that seems to be in possession of her lover as just like a god. This phrase and this poem as a whole presage that, while homosexual relationships may be accepted, one must lastly put a heterosexual one first. The poet did not fight to hide her gender and wrote in a very soft, feminine way. She did not extend a feeling of dominance or toughness, but rather a soft, sweet, almost timid, connotation.Even when speaking of wars, she does it with certain subtleness thatsuggests beauty braiding in images like delicate, gliding, flutes melody, and think on the sweet senses. Sappho was A Womans Voice in a time where most other womens voices were blotted out. She was praised even during her time, while some similar modern poets were forced to conceal for success. This says something about the time in which she lived that while it was undoubtedly male dominated there must have been some level of female acceptance and worth.