Anna's Close Reading

Sappho's poem "To Her You Were Like A Visible Goddess" depicts the heartbroken tale of a lost female lover through the use of metaphors, descriptive language, and allusions. In this poem, Sappho talks, possibly about herself, in third person. She uses the pronoun "you" to talk directly to the female ("goddess") who left her heartbroken to make it seem as if the poem was written specifically for this woman.

In the first stanza, we see that this female was the object of her affection, who caused Sappho to sing "her greatest delight." We can infer that this female isn't actually a goddess because of the use of the word "like," indicating that Sappho viewed this woman as divine and placed her on a pedestal. By saying this, Sappho conveys how much this woman means to her. Sappho goes on to talk about how her heartbreak has made this woman stand out to her among all the Lydian woman. Sappho mentions that as the sun sets, the moon rises, and "its light spreads equally over salt sea and flowering fields." In this phrase, Sappho is basically saying that although this relationship is ending, she will move on and spread her love to others.

Conveying her acceptance of moving on, Sappho uses descriptive words, like "bountiful dew pours down," "roses bloom," and "tender parsley and honey-flowered clover" to describe the vast opportunities and beauty of new beginnings. Although Sappho will move on from her heartbreak, she suggests in the last stanza that she won't forget her former lover.