Poetry Of Sappho And Catullus - 1226 Words

The Ancient poetry of Sappho and Catullus has drawn many comparisons since their origins. In particular, Catullus’s poem 51 is a direct adaptation of Sappho’s 31. This symmetricality of the two poems allows for perfect comparison to highlight the ways in which the styles of the poets differ or resemble the other. While both Sappho and Catullus write of love, uncontrollable desire, and the overwhelming affect it has on them, Catullus brings a certain ego and self-centeredness to his poem, in turn changing the entire mood of the poem. In both 31 and 51, the poets describe the overwhelming sensation of love and lust for a lover. Both Sappho and Catullus manage to capture their affection and desire for their love, as well as the toll that this lust takes on their psyche but in doing so shed very different light on the process. Sappho’s poem’s depth and faith in love create a positive tone to the poem, while Catullus’s ego and fear tinge his poem with sadness and negativity. Sappho is able to portray this overpowering response as something thrilling and exciting. She takes the nervous energy associated with attraction and with the love of another, and shows that it is worthwhile. The positivity that she is able to weave through her poem while at the same time portraying the nervousness at the beginning of attraction paints a realistic picture of love. In the finale line of her poem, Sappho states, â€Å"all is to be dared,† illustrating how the love of another, for Sappho, isShow MoreRel atedWorks of Sappho and Catullus1135 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Sappho and Catullus Literature has the ability to reflect the society in which the piece was created and the cultural beliefs of that community. Ancient Greece and Rome have been thoroughly investigated by historical scholars. Some of the most beautiful art and literature, as well as some of the most intelligent science have come to the population of the world through the work of these ancient thinkers and artists. Ancient Greece and Rome were the homes of some of the worlds most beautiful architectureRead MoreEpic Poetry By Homer And Catullus Essay1805 Words   |  8 Pageslyrics, is the expression of love, which through Homer and Catullus, shows us how love can be expressed as erotic, familial, or as a love of place by the protagonists and secondary characters, despite whether it is the primary or secondary theme. In Greek literature a prominent author is Homer, whom we don’t know if actually existed or if ‘Homer’ is a pseudonym for a collective group of writers. Homer is popular for writing epic poetry, which follows the heroic journey of the protagonist throughRead MoreImpact of Greek Culture on the Romans790 Words   |  3 Pagesrenowned. So much so that the Romans modeled their philosophic beliefs around great Greek philosophers such as Aristotle and â€Å"absorbed the works of the Epicureans and the Stoics† (Fiero 143). Philosophy seeped through into other disciplines such as poetry, when Lucretius â€Å"popularized the materialist theories of Democritus and Leucippus† (Fiero 143). Stoicism was used not only to enforce Roman ideals, but also influenced the minds of people such as Marcus Aurelius. The Romans produced Stoic philosophersRead MoreThe Nature Of Love And Relationships Across The Many Works We Studied For This Course1942 Words   |  8 Pages were written. For example, Sappho wrote extensively about same-sex romantic love between women. â€Å"What is still unclear is what same-sex romantic or erotic love between women may have implied in Sappho s culture. What we do know is that there was not widespread fear and persecution of homosexuals in antiquity† (Hare). Sappho wrote in Poem 94, â€Å"I simply want to be dead. Weeping she left me with many tears and said this: Oh how badly things have turned out for us. Sappho, I swear, against my willRead MoreWomen in Sappho and Gilgamesh1967 Words   |  8 PagesWomen in Sappho and Gilgamesh Works of literature are cultural reflections of the time and place in which they were created. At the times of the creation of the poems of Sappho and the Epic of Gilgamesh, women were primarily seen and little heard, unless they happened to be one of the ancient deities of that culture. Women were wives and mothers of children and their position in society was based on subservience to the patriarchy who were in charge in all things. Although women could achieve some