NOTE: Sappho's poems have almost been completely lost to the ages. All we have are a few fragments and one complete poem (p.9). So read these carefully and imagine what might have been, as well as what we have. Often, the poems hint at the invisible lines that followed. We'll talk more about her life and times in class, but the Introduction, as well as the notes to each poem, will give you a lot of context if you're interested (though you don't have to read this).
Answer TWO of the following:
Q1: In the Introduction to Stung With Love, Carol Ann Duffy writes, “Scholars often
comment on Sappho’s ability to activate multiple perspectives within the same
poem and to elide differences between the subject and object” (Duffy xxxi). Where do
we see this quality in the opening poems, and particularly in her one complete
poem on page 9, “Subtly bedizened Aphrodite”? Where do we see perspectives
switch, or an object become a subject?
Q2: Since this chapter is called “Goddesses,” what relationship do Sappho’s speakers seem to have with the gods? What do they ask of the gods? What kind of ‘religion’ or faith do they seem to hold with them? Consider the fragment: “God-crafted product of the tortoise shell/Come to me, be voluble” (17)
Q3: How does Sappho make her poetry "worth reading" and/or how does it "call attention to itself"? Where do we see moments that invite us to keep asking questions, and keep trying to find answers, rather than simply shrug and say "what do you mean by that?" Do some fragments do this more than others?
Q4: These are primarily lyric poems, which Culler writes in Chapter 5 "are
fictional imitations of personal utterance. It is as if each poem began with
the invisible words, "For example, I or someone could say,""
(75). Are there any clues to help us distinguish whether these are fiction or autobiography?
Who is the "I" in these poems? Are we sure (or not sure) it's the
poet herself? Are they even all female speakers?
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