In this love poem by Sappho, we get a scene of a woman reminiscing about a past lover. Typical of most of her poems, Sappho uses detailed imagery that works well to set the mood of the entire poem. By describing nature with words like the “flowering fields” and “roses bloom[ing],” we get a sense of calm enjoyment. By setting this flowery mood, we know that whomever the speaker is talking about, she is someone who brings back good, warm memories. Because of this diction, it makes me want to read this poem slowly and thoughtfully, which I believe was the intended way for the poem to be read.
We receive more imagery of how important this person is in the beginning of this fragmented poem. By saying that this person was like a “visible goddess,” we see that this person has the likeness of a Greek goddess. Perhaps it is the beauty, or the simply the splendor of a god. To be compared to a god is one of the greatest compliments to give somebody, especially during a time when they were worshipped by a vast majority.
With this remembrance comes the pain of not having the person there with your anymore. In the last part of this translation, we see a person who is yearning with a “heart consumed with pain.” Though there is this heartbreak in the end, there is a gentleness about it since the imagery in the stanzas before the last on successfully sets up the tone of the entire poem.
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