Sappho: A New Rendering

SapphoProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.9

Word count: 25K words
Chapters: 3

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Sappho: A New Rendering by SapphoAuthor: Sappho,Language: English, Class: PA: Language and Literatures: Classical Languages and Literature, Release Date: Apr 15, 2013

Editor's review

This is a new English translation of Sappho's poetry, an e-book in the classical languages and literature category. Sappho was an ancient Greek woman poet whose work is known for its lyricism, concision, and intense emotional expression; her surviving fragments are few but deeply influential. As an English translation, this book suits readers who wish to approach Sappho's poetry in English, and also serves as auxiliary material for introductions to classical poetry or for comparative translation practice. Readers need not seek complete narrative; instead, they should slow down and feel the rhythm, imagery, and emotional tension of the lines. Since the data show only that this is a Project Gutenberg e-book, readers should note that it is an English translation rather than a critical edition of the Greek text, and is better suited to reading and appreciation than to scholarly textual criticism. Overall, it is a portable, easily accessible reader of classical poetry, suitable for close reading in short sections in a quiet setting.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in ancient Greek poetry and Sappho's work
Readers who wish to encounter classical lyric poetry in English
Those who need short poetic texts for comparative translation practice
Poetry lovers who enjoy slow reading, excerpting, and revisiting

Not a good fit for

Researchers who need the Greek text with critical apparatus or detailed scholarly notes
Readers who prefer complete narratives and long continuous reading
Beginners who hope for a modern colloquial Chinese translation

Reading tips

Read a small selection of poems at a time, pause afterward, and note the image or line that moved you most.
Compare with other English or Chinese translations of Sappho to observe how different translators handle tone and rhythm.
Learn a little about the background of Sappho's fragments beforehand, and avoid expecting the book to read like a complete poetry collection.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book the complete collected works of Sappho?

The data show that this is a new English translation, but most of Sappho's surviving work consists of fragments, so the book is not a strictly complete collection. Readers should treat it as an English selection or reader, focusing on reading and appreciation rather than relying on it to judge completeness.

Can I read this book without knowing ancient Greek?

Yes. This book is an English translation, and basic English reading ability is enough to enter it. If English is difficult, read alongside a Chinese translation to grasp the general meaning first, then return to the English to feel the rhythm of the lines.

Is this book suitable for academic citation?

The data do not show that the book includes detailed textual apparatus, notes, or a scholarly introduction, so it is better suited to general reading and appreciation. For academic writing, consult authoritative critical editions and scholarly translations separately rather than relying on this book alone.

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About the author

Sappho Author · Ancient Greek

Sappho was an ancient Greek lyric poet, born around 610 BCE on the island of Lesbos and died around 570 BCE. She wrote monodic lyric songs in the Aeolian dialect, dealing mostly with personal emotion and communities of women, in a plain and direct style; the ancients called her the "Tenth Muse." Her poetry was collected in ten books but is almost entirely lost, leaving only one complete poem and a few fragments, and public information about her life and the full scope of her work is limited. Three of her works are included here: Sappho: A New Rendering, Les poésies de Sapho de Lesbos, and The Poems of Sappho: An Interpretative Rendition into English, showing that her poems have been continually translated and reinterpreted. Sappho's writing captures desire, parting, and female friendship in the first person, with concise, musical language, and has deeply influenced the Western lyric tradition.