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Sappho: The Ancient Poetess,Sappho: The Ancient Poetess

© Debbie Legare

Sappho, the female Greek Poet, was born what is estimated to be around 630 BC. Not much was recorded about her personal history, but it is known that she was the daughter of aristocracy and had three brothers. Her parents, Skamadronymos and Klies, chose a life in the city of Mytilene on the island of Lesbos in the Aegean Sea. It was common that girls that lived on Lesbos in the seventh century received a solid education unlike other parts of Greece. Lesbos was known as an artistic community and drew many in their search for the training they wanted. Sappho was not only rewarded with an education but found her calling in the arts. Being so wonderfully educated, she decided to become an educator herself.

Sappho married a prosperous merchant, Kerhylas of Andros, and together they had a daughter named Cleis. She spent the majority of her time studying but always found time to journey throughout Greece. This was a significant source of inspiration.

Poetry became Sappho’s passion and her reputation began to spread. Her works made her known as a lyrist; one whose poems were performed accompanied by a Lyre. This was often the custom of the time. She not only wrote the poems but also composed the music. She wrote in Aeolic dialect in lyric meter that later became known to writers as the Sapphic Meter, named after Sappho. The lyrical poetry and technique made her a part of the wave of Greek lyrists who wrote from the point of view of the gods and muses instead of the common individual. Aphrodite was one of the goddesses in which she not only admired but also wrote extensively about.

Sappho was the first to write in 1st person, perfecting the love poem, specifically dealing with new love and loss. She was also the first to create short forms of poetry consisting of less than 40 lines, compared to the odes and epics now being written at the time. Her style was considered by most as sensual even erotic primarily in her songs of admiration and yearning. She often wrote about the women that were sent to her for education in the arts. When they would leave to be married, she would write their wedding music. Many of her creations were said to be autobiographical, about her experiences in nature, simplicity of life and passions for and about women, but not all. She often wrote choral hymns and funeral dirges. However, it is still true that her poetry on women’s issues and lives made her notorious. Poetry in ancient times about homosexuality was not condemned since it was often practiced. Sappho became synonymous with the lifestyle on Lesbos and gave birth to the most recognized word for female love- Lesbian. It was later that creative scholars criticized her works. It seemed that preferences and moralities changed and so did the views of the readers. Around 600 BC, Sappho was exhiled from Lesbos because of the political stands of her family and went on to Sicily.

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