Sappho DQ2

1. Concepts of Eros, Philia, and Agape

  • Eros: Passionate, often sexual love (romantic/desirous).

  • Philia: Deep friendship or affectionate bond (loyalty, camaraderie).

  • Agape: Selfless, universal love (divine or unconditional).

Poem Classifications:

  • [132]: Philia (mother’s love for her child, Kleïs—affectionate but not erotic).

  • [36]: Eros ("I yearn and desire"—raw longing).

  • [41]: Philia or Agape (devotion to "beautiful women," possibly communal/sisterly).

  • [32]: Agape (Muses grant honor—divine/artistic inspiration).

  • [117B]: Eros (invokes Hymenaios, god of marriage—romantic context).

  • [5]: Philia (prayer for brother’s safety—familial love).

2. Parable of the Sower and Poetic "I"

  • Author: Octavia Butler.

  • Narrator: Lauren Olamina (a young Black woman in a dystopian future).

  • Poetic "I": The speaker’s voice in poetry; not always autobiographical but feels personal. Sappho’s "I" blurs poet/lover/priestess.

    • Example: [51] "I’m of two minds"—inner conflict feels intimate.

3. Lyric Poetry, the Lyre, and Muses

  • Sappho’s Lyric Poetry: Short, emotional, musical. Focuses on personal feelings (love, loss) rather than epic narratives.

    • [160]: "Sing to delight companions"—communal yet intimate.

    • [118]: "Divine lyre, speak!"—poetry as divine dialogue.

  • Lyre: A harp-like instrument; Sappho’s verses were sung to its accompaniment.

  • Muses: Goddesses of arts/inspiration. [32] shows them granting poetic power.

4. Eros, Aphrodite, and Control

  • Origin of Erotic Desire: Aphrodite (goddess of love) incites uncontrollable passion.

    • [102]: Aphrodite "overcomes" Sappho—love as divine force.

    • [1]: Aphrodite teasingly asks, "Who wrongs you this time?"—love is cyclical.

  • Nature of Control: Eros is destabilizing ([47]: "Love shook my senses").

    • Literary Device: Simile (love = wind crushing oaks).

  • Bittersweetness: [130] calls love "loosener of limbs"—euphoric yet painful.

5. Imagery and Personification

  • Imagery: Vivid language appealing to senses.

    • [101A]: "Cicada’s high, sweet song" (sound), "blazing earth" (sight/heat).

  • Sensory Examples from [2]:

    • "Altars smoking with frankincense" (smell).

    • "Cold water ripples" (touch/sound).

    • "Shadowed in roses" (sight).

    • "Winds breathe softly" (sound/touch).

  • Personification: Giving human traits to non-human things.

    • "Winds breathe" (human-like action).

    • "Murmuring leaves" (whispering like people).

6. Aphrodite’s Role

  • Description in [1]:

    • "Immortal," "weaving wiles," arrives on a "chariot yoked with sparrows."

    • Playful yet powerful—she knows Sappho will suffer again.

  • Request: To intervene in love, "release me from these troubles."

  • Comparison to Parable’s God:

    • Aphrodite is personal, capricious, and answers prayers directly.

    • Butler’s God (Earthseed) is impersonal change—a force to adapt to, not a deity to beg.

Key Takeaways

  • Sappho’s work explores love’s duality (eros = joy/pain).

  • Her "I" feels confessional, blending poet and persona.

  • Nature and gods mirror human emotion (e.g., winds "breathe," love "shakes").

  • Aphrodite is both ally and trickster—love is divine but uncontrollable.

TL;DR:

  • Love = chaos (thanks, Aphrodite).

  • Poetry = music + raw feeling.

  • Sappho’s "I" is the OG influencer—intimate, relatable, timeless.