Sappho Smiles

What a beautiful Poem, dear Jessica!

Thank you, Grace! I am delighted you found my poem so lovely. I wrote it one night a while back, when looking up at that painting, which I have on one of the walls of my bedroom, and I had all these thoughts and musings, which I later wrote this poem about.

You write so well and from the heart I believe, making it so effortless.:)

Oh, dearest Grace, thank you so much for such a radiant compliment! That is how I write though, always from the heart... which is what infuses my work with such real emotions and feelings. :)

After reading this poem I went on a learning excursion to fond out who Sappho was. Now I can hardly believe I had never heard of her. Having taken poetry classes in high school and college as well as being closely involved with several poetry groups in places I have lived, it seems quite strange to me that her name or her work was never mentioned. Your poem was quite enlightening, I am now going to do yet more research into her work... JJ

I am glad my poem was able to open your eyes to the existence of Sappho, and to her works and contributions to the history of poetry. She was a great woman! Many called her a living muse, even a goddess, and whilst those were clearly meant in a primarily honorific capacity she was quite gifted for a poetess from those times. She was mostly fond of penning what could be classified today as ancient erotica, and was quite devoted to the goddess Aphrodite by all accounts. She lived on the island of Lesbos, and was as much famed for her love for others of the same sex as she was for her poetry. She was, if her poetry is any insight into her spirit and soul, a profoundly romantic woman, and one of great passions as well. I have always found her and her works to be inspiring and quite remarkable… especially given that she was a woman who achieved greatness for being something other than a warrior during an era when warriors were revered and considering that she lived in a somewhat male-dominated society. The society that the Homeric epics came from, in fact! So in many ways, her works were unique and different, just as the lady herself was. So it is no small surprise I always felt drawn to her and to her works. :) If memory serves, I believe Sappho was also quite revered in ancient Rome as well… so her legacy persisted quite long beyond her time, and indeed persists to this very day.

I wish you luck in your research, and hope you find it ever more fascinating, my friend! :)

Dear Jessica,the impact here is in the length.
The shortness makes the beauty more intense.
I hope to see more short writes!

This was one of my better short works, I must admit! Whilst I often am fond of penning lengthy epics and such, I do sometimes enjoy writing something a tad more brief but no less powerful in terms of impact. I am happy to see this poem was so well received! :D

=== Holding thy lyre in thy hand, so solemnly regarding me. ===

I don't see the necessity in the 2nd "thy"; it puts a bit of a drag on the flow as well.

I'm right there smiling with you, Kou!

I mostly was writing it as I was thinking it, sort of whilst I was singing the lines in my head, so the rhyme, rhythm and flow of it was more sing-song in that regard to me than how it may have turned out in written form. I did fix that line though, since I must agree the second “thy” was a bit unnecessary. So now the line reads:

“Holding thy fair lyre in hand, so solemnly regarding me.”

Which I do like a whole lot better compared to the way it flowed originally… if anything, this has an even more melodic tone to it now, so thank you very much for pointing that out so I could fix it and make it even better, which now it totally is.

I am happy that my poem, made you smile as well, Mary! :D

I'm n love with Sappho & I truly deeply in my being am bowing because these words meshed like no other, t takes me too that quiet place with only my oil lamp burning. Love the feeling you lend here. Bravo beautiful bravo

I’m very pleased you enjoyed my modest little tribute to Sappho here! When she was, in antiquity, named “Sappho the Beautiful”, she was named rightly thereby. A lovely muse, and a great woman! I did indeed try to give this poem a lot of pure feeling to it, straight from the heart… and I am glad to see it turned out so well. Thanks for the lovely comment! :)

A great portrait of u and Sappho - well done

I am extremely happy you liked it, Whale! I always, in many ways, saw Sappho as being very much a kindred spirit to myself and vice versa, so this is indeed a great poetic portrait of both of us. Thanks so much for taking the time to read and to leave your very lovely comment! Much appreciated. :)