If Not, Winter

In my English 395 class, we’re reading poetry by Sappho.
Sappho lived on the island of Lesbos in approximately 630 B.C. She was a well known female poet in her time, but unfortunately much of her work has been lost, or severely damaged. To complicate matters, her works have been translated from Greek to English. I’ve been focusing on the literature which has been pieced together from the remains. Many of the poems are very short; some only a single word in length, but I find that often those can be the most intriguing. The following are my favourite poems from Sappho’s fragments:



I conversed with you in a dream




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Some men say an army of horse and some men say an army on foot and some men say an army of ships is the most beautiful thing on the black earth
But I say it is
What you love


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Frequently
For those
I treat well are the ones who most of all harm me
Crazy
You, I want
To suffer
In myself I am aware of this


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Stars around the beautiful moon
Hide back their luminous form
Whenever all full she shines
On earth

Silvery


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You come and I was crazy for you
And you cooled my mind that burned with longing


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For the man who is beautiful is beautiful to see
But the good man will at once also beautiful be


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Sometimes at sunset
The rosefingered moon
Surpasses all the stars
And her light
Stretches over salt-sea
Equally and flowerdeep fields

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But I am not someone who likes to wound rather I have a quiet mind

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But me, you have forgotten or you love someone more than me


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Lady Dawn

You say that you love rain, but you open your umbrella when it rains.

You say that you love the sun, but you find a shadow spot when the sun shines.

You say that you love the wind, but you close your windows when wind blows.

This is why I am afraid you'll say that you love me, too.

My friends!
My friends making music!
Listen!

Maybe just a half a drink more...

Hanni El Khatib - You Rascal You

He holds me in his big arms
Drunk and I am seeing stars
This is all I think of

Watching all our friends fall
In and out of Old Paul's
This is my idea of fun

LANA DEL REY-VIDEO GAMES

Chris was the toughest guy in our gang, but he was also the guy who made the best peace. I've seen him sit down on the pavement next to a small boy he didn't even know, who had hurt his knee, and get him talking about something until the boy forgot his pain. He was good at it. He was tough enough to be good at it.

The Body

There is no order in the world around us, we must adapt ourselves to the requirements of chaos instead. It is hard to adapt to chaos, but it can be done.

I am living proof of that: It can be done.

Kurt Vonnegut