sappho love + desire (+ others) Flashcards
men + women, desire, sex, love, marriage + society
What is eros?
Passion or desire
What is thumos?
Heart or soul - indicates powerful desire + depth of anguish/pain
Where does Sappho reference thumos (anguish)?
Poem 1 - “do not overpower my heart w anguish”
What does pothos mean?
Powerful desire
Why do we have poem 31?
Longinus (ancient critic) uses it in his work as the perfect example of how to write about desire
How does Sappho describe desire in poem 31 (quotes)?
“My tongue breaks”
“Buzzing in my ears”
“Sweat pours over me”
“A tremor seizes me”
“I think I am on the point of death”
What topos is used in poem 31?
Comparing love to death
What metaphor does Sappho give in poem 31?
Compares sex as a metaphor for unrequited desire
How is love described in poem 102 (quotes)?
“I cannot weave my web, I am smitten by a boy”
What does poem 102 tell us about love?
Possibly younger speaker who can’t express the new feelings of love she is having + calls to her mother for help + blames Aphrodite
Where do we see mention of men in Sappho’s poetry?
Poem 111 - ‘Raise the Roof’
What does Sappho depict in poem 111?
Calling carpenters to raise the roof of the bridal chamber bc of the bridegrooms enormous size
Who is the bridegroom compared to in poem 111? What does this show?
Compared to Ares, God of War
Bridegroom is intimidating - male desire seems to threaten women
What does poem 31 show?
‘He seems equal to a god’
The poet is watching her lover laughing, speaking to a man
What does Sappho talk about in poem 49?
“I used to love you Atthis”
Sappho is now over the feelings she had
What does Sappho talk about in poem 131?
“The thought of me repulses you (Atthis)”
Atthis no longer loves Sappho
What effect would poem 94 have had on women in Lesbos?
Liberating + empowering
What topoi is given in poem 94?
Pain of love, desire, love
What possibly shows desire in poem 94? How is this portrayed?
“And on a soft bed, you satisfied your desire”
Positive and soft
How is love + desire shown in poem 96?
“She remembers gentle Attis + the longing consumes her flighty soul”
Desire is consuming
What does poem 24 refer to?
“What we did when we were young, many beautiful things” - sex but in a pure/nostalgic way
Which poems suggest sexual intimidation?
‘Raise the roof’
‘The doorkeeper’
How does ‘the doorkeeper’ (poem 110) suggest sexual intimidation?
“The doorkeep has size 27 feet”
What does poem 105a suggest?
Suggests that female sexuality is beyond the reach of men
What analogy is given in poem 105a?
Apple is virginity/female sexuality
Apple pickers are men
What does poem 112 tell us?
“Lucky bridegroom”
Complete happiness - good match of couple
What may the underlying meaning of poem 112 be?
Homoerotic relationships were brought to an end by marriage - could be the lovers gaze + hints of jealousy
