Friday, September 28, 2007

Sappho, Love vs. war

We talked briefly about Sappho's poem "To Anaktoria" in colloquium, but I don't think we lingered long enough on Kate's point about the comment it may give on the Iliad. That's something to revisit perhaps, in light also of our exploration of the Chorus' viewpoint on the Trojan war in Agamemnon. Does Sappho present the woman's point of view on war? I have a question too about her poem #149, and the sentiment she expresses in the line (more or less) "you helped the house of Atreus, now help me." How are we to read this? A conscious poetic juxtaposition of love and war? Critical? Ironic? None of the above?

No comments: