Book #66
Come Close by Sappho
Lyrical, powerful poems about love, sexuality, sun-soaked Greece and the gods.
Although my aversion to poetry continues to plague my enjoyment of the Little Black Classics range, there was something a bit different about this one.
Sappho is widely known for depicting a love for women in her poetry, and this is what is so unique for her time. Despite masses of Greek poetry portraying homosexuality, verses lauding love between women aren’t so common. Almost as though the men doing it was acceptable, but not the women – imagine that, girls.
There was some really beautiful stuff here, but equally some poems which I found dull and disengaging. This isn’t anything new, as bumbling through poetry with me always meets this result and I’m lucky to find even a single poem which evokes any type of emotion in me. Sappho managed a good three or four, which may even be a high score.
Although I will not be rushing to consume any more of Sappho’s works, I’m glad I’ve experienced her story and her struggles.
Sappho is widely known for depicting a love for women in her poetry, and this is what is so unique for her time. Despite masses of Greek poetry portraying homosexuality, verses lauding love between women aren’t so common. Almost as though the men doing it was acceptable, but not the women – imagine that, girls.
There was some really beautiful stuff here, but equally some poems which I found dull and disengaging. This isn’t anything new, as bumbling through poetry with me always meets this result and I’m lucky to find even a single poem which evokes any type of emotion in me. Sappho managed a good three or four, which may even be a high score.
Although I will not be rushing to consume any more of Sappho’s works, I’m glad I’ve experienced her story and her struggles.