4 English: Sappho Lyric QUIZ Notes

KNOW:

  • Quotes
  • Elements
  • notes

Sappho 1 - Ode to Aphrodite

  • Notes:

  • Traditional Prayer Formula [direct address]

  • Apostrophe - when you address someone not there

  • Gives voice to goddes

  • The Poem:

  • Expresses a human plea for help with a broken heart

  • Not just a lament for the girl Sappho loves, but also an argument to Aphrodite whose help Sahppo wants

  • What is she doing? Trying to get the goddess on her side [first praises the goddess, then reveals her motive]

  • Quotes:

  • “Weaving wiles” - Sappho knows Aphrodite is MESSY and Dangerous

  • “Again who must I persuade back into the harness of your love?… soon she’ll ove even against her will” - this is what Sappho wants Aphrodite to ask her.

  • IRONY of WILLS: even the gods are bound by fate.

  • “…and you be my ally” - this is dangerous, because when do you call someone your ally? - when you’re going to war (fight)

  • Sappho - “All is fair in love and war.”

Sappho 4 - Ode to Anaktoria

  • What? = The OBJECT of desire becomes the SUBJECT of desire

  • What did Helen want?

  • Imagery of warfare - army of horsemen, foot-soldiers, fleet

  • Quotes:

  • “I say it is whatever on loves” - you love what you love

  • “…leaving behind the best man of all” - only 1 reason to go: she LOVES Paris

  • Notes:

  • *If you ove war, you’re misplaced ⇒ because war is a means to and end (getting what you want)

  • *Sappho = war is not means to end

  • What everyone loves most desirable

  • Ancient Greek authority

Sappho 8 - Fortune of Gods

  • Note:

  • This is the MOST impressive poem: physical sensations of love (1st)

  • Sense of desire

  • Quotes:

  • “My heart flutters in my breast”

  • “A delicate fire runs under my skin… cold sweat rushes down me”

  • “To myself I seem needing but little to die”

Korinna 1 - Terpsicore / lovely old tales

  • Notes:

  • What does Korinna’s lyric celebrate? - creating fame

  • **Her rant abt the ppl = she’s saying that SHE’s the one that keeps the tales going

  • People:

  • Terpsichore - the muse of dance

  • Kephisos → leader [but who would have heard of him without me] (Kep gained fame from Korinna’s poem)

  • Quotes:

  • “White-robed women of Tanagra” - singing to them

Erinna 1 - Ode to Bakis

  • Notes:

  • Threnady - a poem of lament [lamenting death of Baukis]

  • Erinna - serious

  • Epitaph - writing on tombstone

  • Quotes:

  • “Those… we played are coals now” → (they’re all memories now)

  • “”The Bogy brought fear”

  • “Mormo wandered about on four feet”

  • “Tourtoise”

  • “Blushing same rakes my cheeks”

  • “But always before… nineteenth year” - [Baukis death]

  • “Gazing on the distaff” - weaving

  • “O Hymen” - marriage

Erinna 4 - Stere and my sirens

  • “Stele and my sirens and mournful urn” “this gave holds me, a bride.” “my father called me Baukis” “family is from Tenos” “my friend Erinna.. Engraved this epigram” - Baukis’s ashes are in the urn, the dead body [ashes] belong to Hades, and Erinna wrote the epitaph.