Sappho
Sappho, an ancient Greek poetess from the island of Lesbos, flourished around 600 BCE. Renowned for her lyric poetry, she celebrated love and passion through intimate and personal verse. Although much of her work survives only in fragments, Sappho's profound influence endures in both classical and modern literature. Her distinct voice has earned her a lasting legacy as one of antiquity's most revered poets.
Book summaries for books written by Sappho
Quotes
What is beautiful is good, and who is good will soon be beautiful.
Some say an army of horsemen or footsoldiers, others say ships; but I say the most beautiful thing on this black earth is whatever it is that you love.
I loved you, Atthis, years ago, when my youth was still all bloom, though at that time you never deigned to look my way.
But my heart flutters when I catch sight of you, and my voice falters, my tongue is broken, and a thin fire spreads beneath my skin, my eyes cannot see, and there is a ringing in my ears.
You burn me.
Someone, I tell you, in another time will remember us.
I loved you once, Atthis, long ago.
But my own mind holds me back; my heart longs to burst from my chest.
I have no tongue, but I can speak and make others understand.
You came, and I was crazy for you and you cooled my mind that burned with longing.
I saw you, and my mouth went dry.
What cannot be said will be wept.