This translation follows the reading ers (vs. eros) aeli. Little is known with certainty about the life of Sappho, or Psappha in her native Aeolic dialect. no holy place During this visit, Aphrodite smiled and asked Sappho what the matter was. Nagy). Thus, you will find that every translation of this poem will read very differently. The contrast between the white and dark feathers mimics the poets black-and-white perception of love. The swift wings, with dusky-tinted pinions of these birds, create quite a bit of symbolism. These titles emphasize Aphrodites honor, lineage, and power. In her personal life, Sappho was an outspoken devotee of Aphrodite who often wrote the goddess into her poetry. 1 Close by, , 2 O Queen [potnia] Hera, your [] festival [eort], 3 which, vowed-in-prayer [arsthai], the Sons of Atreus did arrange [poien] 4 for you, kings that they were, [5] after first having completed [ek-telen] great labors [aethloi], 6 around Troy, and, next [apseron], 7 after having set forth to come here [tuide], since finding the way 8 was not possible for them 9 until they would approach you (Hera) and Zeus lord of suppliants [antiaos] [10] and (Dionysus) the lovely son of Thyone. So, basically, its a prayer. Instead, he offers a version of those more versed in the ancient lore, according to which Kephalos son of Deioneus was the very first to have leapt, impelled by love for Pterelas (Strabo 10.2.9 C452). It is sometimes refered to as Fragment 1, Title, Author, Book and Lines of your passage (this poem is Sappho's "Hymn to Aphrodite"). And myrrh and cassia and frankincense were mingled. Not affiliated with Harvard College. Taller than a tall man! Various translations are telling in regards to this last line. Sappho's "___ to Aphrodite" Crossword Clue Nyt Clues / By Rex Parker'son Advertisement Sapphos to Aphrodite NYT Crossword Clue Answers are listed below and every time we find a new solution for this clue, we add it on the answers list down below. . The prayer spoken by the persona of Sappho here, as understood by Aphrodite, expresses a wish that the goddess should set out and bring the girl, or, to say it more colloquially, Aphrodite should go and bring the girl. 7 Where it is allowed to make this thing stand up erect, . LaFon, Aimee. My beloved Kleis. The focal emphasis defines the substance of the prayer: Aphrodite, queen of deception, make my beloved blind to any attraction but me. SAPPHO'S PRAYER TO APHRODITE. and said thou, Who has harmed thee?O my poor Sappho! [33] Arguing for a serious interpretation of the poem, for instance, C. M. Bowra suggests that it discusses a genuine religious experience. And you came, leaving your father's house, yoking your chariot of gold. Come, as in that island dawn thou camest, Billowing in thy yoked car to Sappho. 5. .] I cry out to you, again: What now I desire above all in my. Carm. Come to me now, Aphrodite; dispel the worries that irritate and offend me; fulfill the wishes of my heart; and fight here beside me. In the lengthy and detailed account of Ptolemaios, Sappho is not mentioned at all, let alone Phaon. At the same time, as an incantation, a command directed towards Aphrodite presents her as a kind of beloved. 7. and love for the sun 14 [. And the Pleiades. his purple cloak. Himerius (Orations 1.16) says: Sappho compared the girl to an apple [] she compared the bridegroom to Achilles, and likened the young mans deeds to the heros.. And there was no dance, She asks Aphrodite to instead aid her as she has in the past. Hymenaon, Sing the wedding song! She describes how Aphrodite once yoked her chariot, which was borne by the most lovely / consecrated birds. These birds were likely white doves, often depicted as the chariot-driving animals of Aphrodite in Greek art and myth. 'Hymn to Aphrodite' by Sappho is a classical Greek hymn in which the poet invokes and addresses Aphrodite, the Greek goddess who governs love. an egg 1 Everything about Nikomakhe, all her pretty things and, come dawn, 2 as the sound of the weaving shuttle is heard, all of Sapphos love songs [oaroi], songs [oaroi] sung one after the next, 3 are all gone, carried away by fate, all too soon [pro-hria], and the poor 4 girl [parthenos] is lamented by the city of the Argives. .] However, a few of them still shine through, regardless of the language or meter: Beautiful-throned, immortal Aphrodite,Daughter of Zeus, beguiler, I implore thee,Weigh me not down with weariness and anguishO thou most holy! Beat your breasts, young maidens. The references to Zeus in both the first and second stanza tacitly acknowledge that fact; each time, the role of Aphrodite as child of Zeus is juxtaposed against her position in the poem as an ally with whom "Sappho" shares a personal history. and straightaway they arrived. The form is of a kletic hymn, a poem or song that dramatizes and mimics the same formulaic language that an Ancient Greek or Roman would have used to pray to any god. And you, sacred one, Smiling with deathless face, asking. The poet certainly realized that this familiar attitude towards the goddess was a departure from conventional religious practice and its depiction in Greek literature. O hear and listen ! Other historians posit that she died of old age around 550 BC. Translations of Sappho Miller 1 (Fr 1), 4 (Fr 4), 6 (Fr 31) . Manchester Art Gallery, UK / Bridgeman. 8. 20 . Meanwhile all the men sang out a lovely high-pitched song. Sappho's school devoted itself to the cult of Aphrodite and Eros, and Sappho earned great prominence as a dedicated teacher and poet. I have a beautiful daughter Where will you go when youve left me?, Ill never come back to you, bride, [10] While apparently a less common understanding, it has been employed in translations dating back to the 19th century;[11] more recently, for example, a translation by Gregory Nagy adopted this reading and rendered the vocative phrase as "you with pattern-woven flowers". The conspicuous lack of differentiation between the two of them speaks to the deep intimacy they share, and suggests that the emotional center of the poem is not "Sappho"s immediate desire for love and Aphrodites ability to grant it, but rather the lasting affection, on surprisingly equal footing, that the two of them share. [14], The poem is written in Aeolic Greek and set in Sapphic stanzas, a meter named after Sappho, in which three longer lines of the same length are followed by a fourth, shorter one. The statue of Pygmalion which was brought to life by Aphrodite in answer to his prayers. nigga you should've just asked ms jovic for help, who does the quote involving "quick sparrows over the black earth whipping their wings down the sky through mid air" have to do with imagery and fertility/sexuality. A multitude of adjectives depict the goddess' departure in lush colorgolden house and black earthas well as the quick motion of the fine sparrows which bring the goddess to earth. 22 Abstracted from their inherited tribal functions, religious institutions have a way of becoming mystical organizations. The Hymn to Aphrodite by Sappho was initially composed in Sapphic stanzas, a poetic structure named after Sappho. 21 We too, if he ever gets to lift his head up high, 22 I mean, Larikhos, and finally mans up, 23 will get past the many cares that weigh heavily on our heart, 24 breaking free from them just as quickly. Even Aphrodites doves swiftly vanished as the goddess addresses the poet, just as love has vanished from Sapphos life. 9 Instead, send [pempein] me off and instruct [kelesthai] me [10] to implore [lissesthai] Queen Hera over and over again [polla] 11 that he should come back here [tuide] bringing back [agein] safely 12 his ship, I mean Kharaxos, 13 and that he should find us unharmed. Anne Carson's Translations of Sappho: A Dialogue with the Past? Even with multiple interventions from the goddess of love, Aphrodite, Sappho still ends up heartbroken time and time again. She consults Apollo, who instructs her to seek relief from her love by jumping off the white rock of Leukas, where Zeus sits whenever he wants relief from his passion for Hera. and forgetting [root lth-] of bad things. In one manuscript, the poem begins with the Greek adjective for on a dazzling throne, while another uses a similarly-spelled word that means wily-minded. Carson chose to invoke a little bit of both possibilities, and speculates that Sappho herself might have intentionally selected an adjective for cunning that still suggested glamour and ornamentation. Hymenaon, Sing the wedding song! The poem begins with Sappho praising the goddess before begging her not to break her heart by letting her beloved continue to evade her. the mules. 4 . On the one hand, the history the poem recounts seems to prove that the goddess has already been the poets ally for a long time, and the last line serves to reiterate the irony of its premise. 1 The next stanza seems, at first, like an answer from Aphrodite, a guarantee that she will change the heart of whoever is wronging the speaker. If not, I would remind you As for everything else, 14 let us leave it to the superhuman powers [daimones], [15] since bright skies after great storms 16 can happen quickly. The marriage is accomplished as you prayed. In stanza one, the speaker, Sappho, invokes Venus, the immortal goddess with the many-colored throne. 33 . If she is not taking gifts, soon she will be giving them. Sappho prays to Aphrodite as a mere mortal, but Sappho seems to pray to Aphrodite frequently. I dont know what to do: I am of two minds. 6. But now, in accordance with your sacred utterance, [15] In Hellenistic editions of Sappho's works, it was the first poem of Book I of her poetry. With these black-and-white claims, Aphrodite hints that she is willing to help Sappho, and she tells the poet that before long, the person Sappho loves will return her affections. Sappho implores Aphrodite to come to her aid as her heart is in anguish as she experiences unrequited love. [5] Its really quite easy to make this understandable 6 to everyone, this thing. While the wings of Aphrodites doves beat back and forth, ever-changing, the birds find a way to hover mid-air. The final line, You, be my ally, balances these concerns. Keith Stanley argues that these lines portray Aphrodite "humorous[ly] chiding" Sappho,[37] with the threefold repetition of followed by the hyperbolic and lightly mocking ', ', ; [d][37]. However, by stanza seven, the audience must remember that Sappho is now, once again, calling Aphrodite for help. 27 The poem survives in almost complete form, with only two places of uncertainty in the text, preserved through a quotation from Dionysius of Halicarnassus' treatise On Composition and in fragmentary form in a scrap of papyrus discovered at Oxyrhynchus in Egypt. I implore you, dread mistress, discipline me no longer with love's anguish! Aphrodites tone here is loving but also belittling and a bit annoyed. It has been established that Sappho was born around 615 BCE to an aristocratic family on the Greek island of Lesbos during a period of a great artistic rebirth on the island. Forth from thy father 's. Otherwise, she wouldnt need to ask Aphrodite for help so much. in the mountains Sapphos Fragment 1 uses apostrophe, an impassioned poetic address, to call out to the goddess Aphrodite for aid. Sapphos Hymn to Aphrodite opens with an invocation from the poet, who addresses Aphrodite. Death is an evil. . Thus he spoke. We may question the degree of historicity in such accounts. to make any sound at all wont work any more. For by my side you put on Sappho then states her thesis clearly at the beginning of the second stanza. Poem Analysis, https://poemanalysis.com/sappho/hymn-to-aphrodite/. you heeded me, and leaving the palace of your father, having harnessed the chariot; and you were carried along by beautiful, swirling with their dense plumage from the sky through the. Though there are several different systems for numbering the surviving fragments of Sappho's poetry, the Ode to Aphrodite is fragment 1 in all major editions. 4. [1] It was preserved in Dionysius of Halicarnassus' On Composition, quoted in its entirety as an example of "smooth" or "polished" writing,[2] a style which Dionysius also identifies in the work of Hesiod, Anacreon, and Euripides. Still, it seems that, even after help from the gods, Sappho always ends up heartbroken in the end. Prayer to Aphrodite Sappho, translated by Alfred Corn Issue 88, Summer 1983 Eternal Aphrodite, Zeus's daughter, throne Of inlay, deviser of nets, I entreat you: Do not let a yoke of grief and anguish weigh Down my soul, Lady, But come to me now, as you did before When, hearing my cries even at that distance "Hymn to Aphrodite" begins with the unidentified speaker calling on the immortal goddess Aphrodite, daughter of the mighty Zeus, the use her unique skills to ensnare a reluctant lover. And they passed by the streams of Okeanos and the White Rock and past the Gates of the Sun and the District of Dreams. One ancient writer credited Aphrodite with bringing great wealth to the city of Corinth. January 1, 2021 Priestess of Aphrodite. https://modernpoetryintranslation.com/sappho-the-brothers-poem/. Her arrival is announced by But you in the first line of the fourth stanza. But I sleep alone. Marry a younger woman. If you enjoyed Sapphos Hymn to Aphrodite, you might also like some of her other poetry: Sign up to unveil the best kept secrets in poetry. has a share in brilliance and beauty. This reading, now standard, was first proposed in 1835 by Theodor Bergk,[22] but not fully accepted until the 1960s. Sappho identifies herself in this poem; the name Sappho (Psappho) appears in only three other fragments. gifts of [the Muses], whose contours are adorned with violets, [I tell you] girls [paides] 2 [. Last time, she recalls, the goddess descended in a chariot drawn by birds, and, smiling, asked Sappho what happened to make her so distressed, why she was calling out for help, what she wanted Aphrodite to do, and who Sappho desired. Sappho who she is and if she turns from you now, soon, by my urgings, . She is the personification of the female principle in nature. Rather than shying away from her debt, "Sappho" leans into her shared history with the goddess and uses it to leverage her request, come here if ever before/you caught my voice far off. Aphrodite has an obligation to help her because she has done so in the past. Beautifully [9] However, Anne Carson's edition of Sappho argues for ,[8] and more recently Rayor and Lardinois, while following Voigt's text, note that "it is hard to decide between these two readings". The poem ends with an appeal to Aphrodite to once again come to the speaker's aid. Sappho is the intimate and servant of the goddess and her intermediary with the girls. This final repetition of the phrase once again this time (which was omitted from earlier places in this poem so it could fit into nice English meter) makes even more implications. Nevertheless, she reassured Sappho that her prayer would be answered, and that the object of her affection would love her in return. [Sappho compared the girl to an apple.she compared the bridegroom to Achilles, and likened the young mans deeds to the heros.] Jackie Murray is an associate professor of Classics at the University of Kentucky and at SUNY at Buffalo. Oh, but no. Despite gender dynamics in this poem, Aphrodite explains that love changes quickly. View our essays for Sappho: Poems and Fragments, Introduction to Sappho: Poems and Fragments, View the lesson plan for Sappho: Poems and Fragments, View Wikipedia Entries for Sappho: Poems and Fragments. More books than SparkNotes. . Alas, how terribly we suffer, Sappho. What should we do? But you hate the very thought of me, Atthis, [1] Muse, tell me the deeds of golden Aphrodite the Cyprian, who stirs up sweet passion in the gods and subdues the tribes of mortal men and birds that fly in air and all the many creatures [5] that the dry land rears, and all that the sea: all these love the deeds of rich-crowned Cytherea. Fragment 1 is an extended address from Sappho to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. In the poems final line, Sappho asks Aphrodite to be her sacred protector, but thats not what the Greek has to say about it. While Sappho praises Aphrodite, she also acknowledges the power imbalance between speaker and goddess, begging for aid and requesting she not "crush down my spirit" with "pains and torments.". [5] Another possible understanding of the word takes the second component in the compound to be derived from , a Homeric word used to refer to flowers embroidered on cloth. It is believed that Sappho may have belonged to a cult that worshiped Aphrodite with songs and poetry. p. 395; Horat. 2. But you, O holy one, kept askingwhatis itonce againthistime[, andwhatis it that I want more than anything to happen. A number of Sappho's poems mention or are addressed to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. GradeSaver, 6 June 2019 Web. The Ode to Aphrodite (or Sappho fragment 1[a]) is a lyric poem by the archaic Greek poet Sappho, who wrote in the late seventh and early sixth centuries BCE, in which the speaker calls on the help of Aphrodite in the pursuit of a beloved. This repetition gives Aphrodite a similar tone to a nagging, annoyed mother who asks their child, What did you do now, little one? or What have you gotten into?, Though now he flies, ere long he shall pursue thee;Fearing thy gifts, he too in turn shall bring them;Loveless to-day, to-morrow he shall woo thee,Though thou shouldst spurn him.. By calling Aphrodite these things, it is clear that Sappho sees love as a trick or a ruse. She was born probably about 620 BCE to an aristocratic family on the island of Lesbos during a great cultural flowering in the area. She doesn't directly describe the pains her love causes her: she suggests them, and allows Aphrodite to elaborate. 26 On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Additionally, while the doves may be white, they have dark pinions or feathers on their wings. She causes desire to make herself known in dreams by night or visions during the day. The first two lines of the poem preface this plea for help with praise for the goddess, emphasizing her immorality and lineage. Who is doing you. . As such, any translation from Sapphos original words is challenging to fit into the Sapphic meter. 5 But come here [tuide], if ever at any [] 35 You know how we cared for you. The Ode to Aphrodite comprises seven Sapphic stanzas. In the final stanza, Sappho leaves this memory and returns to the present, where she again asks Aphrodite to come to her and bring her her hearts desires. This only complete Sappho poem, "Hymn to Aphrodite," expresses the very human plea for help with a broken heart. In addition, it is one of the only known female-written Greek poems from before the Medieval era. [26] The poem concludes with another call for the goddess to assist the speaker in all her amorous struggles. But come to me once again in kindness, heeding my prayers as you did before; O, come Divine One, descend once again from heaven's golden dominions! [6] Hutchinson argues that it is more likely that "" was corrupted to "" than vice versa. The persistent presence of "Sappho"'s voice signals that she too sees the irony of her situation, and that the goddess is laughing with her, not at her. Love shook my breast. In cases where two or more answers are displayed, the last one is the most recent. Accordingly, the competing readings are on the order of "[Aphrodite] of the many-coloured throne" or "[Aphrodite] of the subtle/complex mind. [34] Some elements of the poem which are otherwise difficult to account for can be explained as humorous. New papyrus finds are refining our idea of Sappho. 9 11 And Iaware of my own self 12 I know this. And with precious and royal perfume Sappho addresses the goddess, stating that Aphrodite has come to her aid often in the past. While the poems "Sappho" is concerned with immediate gratification, the story that the poet Sappho tells is deeply aware of the passage of time, and invested in finding emotion that transcends personal history. 34 But I say it is that one thing 4 that anyone passionately loves [ertai]. Come to me even now, and free me from harsh, is seated and, up close, that sweet voice of yours, and how you laugh a laugh that brings desire. Hear anew the voice! Sappho of Lesbos (l. c. 620-570 BCE) was a lyric poet whose work was so popular in ancient Greece that she was honored in statuary, coinage, and pottery centuries after her death. ix. 4 [What kind of purpose] do you have [5] [in mind], uncaringly rending me apart 6 in my [desire] as my knees buckle? . Time [hr] passes. But in pity hasten, come now if ever From afar of old when my voice implored thee, A big part of that shift is tonal; in contrast to the lilting phrases and beautiful natural imagery of Sapphos stanzas, Aphrodites questions use a humorous, mocking tone towards the poet and her numerous affairs of the heart. I love the sensual. Poetry of Sappho Translated by Gregory Nagy Sappho 1 ("Prayer to Aphrodite") 1 You with pattern-woven flowers, immortal Aphrodite, 2 child of Zeus, weaver of wiles, I implore you, 3 do not devastate with aches and sorrows, 4 Mistress, my heart! Aphrodite has crushed me with desire This puts Aphrodite, rightly, in a position of power as an onlooker and intervener. And tear your garments 7 That name of yours has been declared most fortunate, and Naucratis will guard it safely, just as it is, 8 so long as there are ships sailing the waters of the Nile, heading out toward the open sea. Sappho 105a (via Syrianus on Hermogenes, On Kinds of Style): Just like the sweet apple that blushes on top of a branch, .] [18], The ode is written in the form of a prayer to Aphrodite, goddess of love, from a speaker who longs for the attentions of an unnamed woman. I really leave you against my will.. Sappho's "Hymn to Aphrodite" is the only poem from her many books of poetry to survive in its entirety. She completed, The Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington and Greece would like to express our sincerest condolences to the family of. 6 Let him become a joy [khar] to those who are near-and-dear [philoi] to him, 7 and let him be a pain [oni] to those who are enemies [ekhthroi]. On the other hand, A. P. Burnett sees the piece as "not a prayer at all", but a lighthearted one aiming to amuse. Sappho also uses the image of Aphrodites chariot to elevate and honor the goddess. One more time taking off in the air, down from the White Rock into the dark waves do I dive, intoxicated with lust. [6] Both words are compounds of the adjective (literally 'many-coloured'; metaphorically 'diverse', 'complex', 'subtle'[7]); means 'chair', and 'mind'. This stanza ties in all of the contrasting pairs in this poem and drives home the central message: love is polarizing, but it finds a way. Sappho's Prayer to Aphrodite (Fragment 1 V. [] ) holds a special place in Greek Literature.The poem is the only one of Sappho's which survives complete. For me this Little is known with certainty about the life of Sappho, or Psappha in her native Aeolic dialect. a shade amidst the shadowy dead. Burn and set on fire her soul [pskh], her heart [kardia], her liver, and her breath with love for Sophia whose mother is Isara. . This voice shifts midway through the next stanza, when the goddess asks, Whom should I persuade (now again)/ to lead you back into her love? In this question I is Aphrodite, while you is the poet. In the same way that the goddess left her/ fathers golden house, the poem leaves behind the image of Aphrodite as a distant, powerful figure to focus on her mind and personality. I say this to you the passerbyshe was left behind by him for as long a time as 4 is possible to hope [. These tricks cause the poet weariness and anguish, highlighting the contrast between Aphrodites divine, ethereal beauty and her role as a goddess who forces people to fall in love with each other sometimes against their own will. But what can I do? The repetitive syntax of Carsons translation, as in the second line If she refuses gifts, rather will she give them, which uses both the same grammatical structure in both phrases, and repeats the verb give, reflects similar aesthetic decisions in the Greek. A legend from Ovid suggests that she threw herself from a cliff when her heart was broken by Phaon, a young sailor, and died at an early age. So, with just this phrase, Sappho describes her breath as frantic, her mind as confused, and her emotions as frenzied. In closing the poem, Sappho begs Aphrodite to come to her again and force the person who Sappho yearns for to love her back. This suggests that love is war. You with pattern-woven flowers, immortal Aphrodite. Every single person that visits Poem Analysis has helped contribute, so thank you for your support. 10. Yet they also offer a glimpse into the more complicated aspects of Aphrodites personality, characterizing her as a cunning woman who twists lures. The first line of Carsons translation reinforces that characterization by describing the goddess as of the spangled mind, suggesting a mazelike, ornamented way of thinking easily steered towards cunning, while still pointing to Aphrodites beauty and wealth. assaults an oak, around your soft neck. Sappho uses the word , or mainolas thumos in the poem, which translates to panicked smoke or frenzied breath. Still, thumos is also associated with thought and emotion because ones breath pattern shows how they are feeling. She was born probably about 620 BCE to an aristocratic family on the island of Lesbos during a great cultural flowering in the area. 1. While Sappho seems devastated and exhausted from her failed love affairs, she still prays to Aphrodite every time she suffers from rejection. Prayer to my lady of Paphos Dapple-throned Aphrodite . someone will remember us Austin and Bastianini, quoted in Athenaeus 13.596c. March 9, 2015. The poem is written as somewhat of a prayer to the goddess Aphrodite. "Hymn to Aphrodite by Sappho". POEMS OF SAPPHO POEMS OF SAPPHO TRANSLATED BY JULIA DUBNOFF 1 Immortal Aphrodite, on your intricately brocaded throne,[1] child of Zeus, weaver of wiles, this I pray: Dear Lady, don't crush my heart with pains and sorrows. The actual text of the poem was quoted by Dionysus, an orator who lived in Rome about 30 B.C. .] Wile-weaving daughter of Zeus, enchantress, and beguiler! Prayers to Aphrodite: For a New Year. Lyrical Performance in Sappho's Ancient Greece, Read the Study Guide for Sappho: Poems and Fragments, The Adaptation of Sapphic Aesthetics and Themes in Verlaine's "Sappho Ballad", Women as drivers of violence in If Not, Winter by Sappho, The Bacchae by Euripides V, and Symposium by Plato, Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder - A Commentary on Sappho's Fragments, Sappho and Emily Dickinson: A Literary Analysis. This girl that I like doesn't like me back.". Raise high the roofbeams, carpenters! Immortal Aphrodite, throned in splendor! But come here, if ever before, when you heard my far-off cry, you listened. . 7 and 16. 5 As for you, O girl [kour], you will approach old age at this marker [sma] as you, 6 for piles and piles of years to come, will be measuring out [metren] the beautiful sun. 5 But from Sappho there still do remain and will forever remain her loving 6 songs columns of verses that shine forth as they sound out her voice. And the least words of Sappholet them fall, a small graceless child. "Sappho: Poems and Fragments Fragment 1 Summary and Analysis". And there is dancing [19] Its structure follows the three-part structure of ancient Greek hymns, beginning with an invocation, followed by a narrative section, and culminating in a request to the god. It is through you visiting Poem Analysis that we are able to contribute to charity. He is dying, Aphrodite; Deathless Aphrodite, throned in flowers, Daughter of Zeus, O terrible enchantress, With this sorrow, with this anguish, break my spirit. [] Sappho refers to Aphrodite as the "daughter of Zeus." This is an interesting reflection on the dichotomy between Aphrodite's two birth myths. [21] The sex of Sappho's beloved is established from only a single word, the feminine in line 24. In this case, Sappho often suffers from heartbreak, unrequited love, and rejection. Sappho: Poems and Fragments literature essays are academic essays for citation. The "Hymn to Aphrodite" is written in the meter Sappho most commonly used, which is called "Sapphics" or "the Sapphic stanza" after her.