sappho

“To an Army Wife, in Sardis”
By: Sappho
Island of Lesbos

Summary of Introduction (Pg.11)
World Literature; An Anthology of Great Short Stories, Poetry, and Drama The introduction introduces a life of a young poet named Sappho. Sappho was known as being, “… among the earliest known female lyric poets.” Sappho’s poems were composed of detailed material which was recognized by the “Greek Philosopher Plato”. On the island of Lesbos, in the town of Eresos, Sappho was born to “ an aristocratic family.” Following the death of her father, Sappho continued to live her life with the aristocratic in her mother’s inborn town, Mytilene. Later in life, Sappho had a daughter and they set their home in Syracuse, Sicily during, “a period of political turbulence.” The lyric poetry used by Sappho was not something that was originally written in her time era. Most poetry was,” passed from poet to poet with the goal of keeping the work intact and distinct from the poet who was reciting it.” Because of the time era Sappho was living in, she was able to keep her poetry distinct and made in her own identity. In most of her poetry Sappho was freely influenced by the native folk songs, giving it a personal feel. “Sappho was the leader and teacher of a group of women and girls from aristocratic families.” Because of this, she wrote most of her poetry for them and read it to them during their priveliged meetings. Along with the native folk songs contributing to her poetry, her, “…family, friends, and feelings,” added to the sincerity of her poems. Most of Sappho’s poems did not survive. Most of the ones that survived are parts of poems found in Egypt. This poem, To an Army Wife, in Sardis, is only one of two full poems found to this day.

“To an Army Wife, in Sardis”
By: Sappho
Some say cavalry corps, some infantry, some, again, will maintain that swift oars

of our fleet are the finest sight on dark earth; but I say that whatever one loves, is.

This is easily proved: did not Helen – she who had scanned the flower of the world’s manhood –

choose as first among men one who laid Troy’s honor in ruin? warped to his will, forgetting

love due her own blood, her own child, she wandered far with him.
So Anactoria, although you

being far away forget us, the dear sound of your footstep and light glancing in your eyes

would move me more than glitter of Lydian horse or armored tread of mainland infantry.

Understanding the Poem:
1. Reread the introductory material and then consider the following possibilities: (a) Sappho is writing to a friend who is off with her husband in Sardis (a city in the ancient kingdom of Lydia, in what is now Turkey); (b) a soldier, away on a tour of duty is writing to his wife back home. Who do you think is the speaker of this poem? Is it important to know who the speaker is? The speaker is a soldier away on a tour of duty, writing to his wife back home. It is very important to know who the speaker of the poem is. It helps the reader understand where the writer is coming from and their point of view. It helps give them a voice.
2. Why does the speaker mention the opinions of others (“Some say”) as well as his or her own opinions? Because this person sees their opinions as important as their own opinions and that it is important to see their point of view on things, just like their own point of view on things is important to themselves.
3. To what extent, if any, do you think that Anactoria has forgotten the speaker? To a small extent has Anactoria forgotten the speaker. He is her husband whom went against the will of their parents with her. Forgetting who he is, is merely impossible.
Analyzing Literary Technique:
1. How does Sappho appeal to the senses in this poem? What advantage do you find in her approach? Most of the word choices in Sappho’s poem Whelp the reader understand what they are reading with their senses. For example in line 14 it says “… she wandered far with him.” It gets you to use your sense of sight. Because it gives you an image of what you are reading. By using senses in the poem it gives the reader a help in understanding in what she is trying to explain.
2. What is the function of contrast in this poem? Contrast is used not in exactly in the words she has written. For example dog is to car. The contrast that is in this poem is in the thoughts of the family members of this husband and wife. The parents are not in favor of them getting married, so their thoughts contrast with the thoughts of their children.
3. What does Sappho’s use of apostrophe contribute to the poem? By using apostrophe, it gives the reader the feeling of missing someone who is not there. In this case the man who is at war is missing his wife back home who, in his life at the moment, is missing.
4. Why does the narrator make an allusion to Helen of Troy? That way the reader can understand where this may be taking place and the time setting.
Writing About Literature:
1. Sappho’s attitude towards Helen of Troy is despite. She writes as if she despises what she has done and what could happen in the future. In a sense, Sappho does treat her analysis of Helen of Troy fairly. What Helen of Troy did was not something that most approved of. So I think in Sappho’s defense, what she is saying about her is truly fair. The feelings that Sappho is suggesting between Helen and Anactoria is, Sappho is giving the voice of the poem the feelings about Anactoria, that Sappho has about Helen of Troy.
2. Dear Friend,
I’m sorry I had to leave you. There are so many more things in this world, and with you being gone, I had the feeling that I needed to explore it. The war that has possessed you, has possessed you completely. You were never my own, once you left. I have great memories of you. Going against everything my parents had said and marrying me anyway. How unbelievable. But this world is much fuller of experiences than I could have ever imagined, hence the reason I left.
I have been searching for the things of this new world I am discovering and I hope you will understand.
Yours Truly,
Anactoria

RELATED UNKNOWN SOUTH DAKOTA LITERARY DEVICES FOUND IN THE POEM

Connotation: The attitudes and feelings associated with a word. These associations can be negative or positive, and have an important influence on style and meaning.
The word love has a difference of feelings in the poem. It is happy and joyful and then turns to sadness and sorrow.
Figurative Language: Language that communicates ideas beyond the ordinary or literal meaning of the words.
The word fleet in the poem is not known as a ship, it is known as the strong army.
Onomatopoeia: The use of a word whose sound suggests its meaning.
The word swift in the poem sounds like something that moves quickly. Swift does mean quickly or fast moving. So in this case, the word swift sounds like it’s meaning.
Apostrophe: A figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses and absent or dead person, an abstract quality, or something non-human as if it were present and capable of responding.
In this poem, Sappho talks about Helen of Troy, who is absent from the speaker.

SOUTH DAKOTA 12TH GRADE READING STANDARDS FULFILLED

12th Grade
12.R.1.1 (Synthesis) Students can interpret the meaning of unfamiliar words using context clues to extend vocabulary.
The word fleet in the poem, first read, is thought of to be a ship. But when re-reading the top of the poem its gives you clues in being able to come to the conclusion that fleet means Army or Military.

12th Grade
12. R.2.1 (Evaluation) Students can evaluate how style affects the meaning of text.
Most of what is used in the poem is imagery. It helps give you the image of a man at War, writing to his lover back home. Other parts of the poem give you the image of someone returning home, a friend missing another, and the light glancing in someone’s eyes.

12th Grade
12.R.3.1 (Analysis) Students can analyze text for the authors’ style.
The author uses a melancholy style of writing, by showing one lover leaving another. As written in the poem, …she wandered far with him…” and the line, “… being far away…” gives you the sad feeling that is portrayed.

12th Grade
12.R.4.1. (Evaluation) Students can evaluate the depiction of human experience in literary works from diverse cultures, locations, and time periods.
The time period is in Ancient Greek times. It shows this by having a lover’s vendetta with the parents. This poem is kind of similar to the story line of Romeo and Juliet. By knowing that this was similar to Romeo and Juliet, it did help with knowing the time line and what could be happening at that moment.