Sappho wrote “Fragment 31” centuries ago in her Greek homeland with the intention of performing her poetry as songs. Contemporary readers should therefore remember two important details. First, readers who do not read Greek experience Sappho’s poetry through the words of a translator who adds unique interpretations and impressions to Sappho’s original version. This study guide uses the Christopher Childers translation of “Fragment 31” which first appeared in Boston University’s literary magazine AGNI, volume 83. Second, Sappho intended for listeners to hear her poetry in the original Greek, not read it; however, this study guide refers to “readers” of the poem rather than listeners. Critics widely accept “Fragment 31” and other poems by Sappho as iconic examples of the lyric form.

Poet Biography

Sappho was a Greek poet who lived from 610-570 BCE. Sappho, known for her lyric poetry, wrote these poems as songs accompanied by the music of the lyre. Today, all her poetry, except for one 28-line poem, exists in fragments; Sappho’s complete works in their original form remain lost to the passage of time.

According to historical records, Sappho is likely to have spent most of her life in a town called Mytilene on the Greek island of Lesbos. Few details abound about Sappho’s life, but ancient sources do indicate that she was born into a wealthy and aristocratic family and that she had three brothers. As well, Sappho was married to a man of wealth named Cercylas, and they had a daughter named Cleis. As her face appears on ancient Greek coins that have survived the passage of time, scholars also believe that Sappho was a great poet during her lifetime.

Poem Text

Sappho. “Fragment 31.” Translated by Chris Childers. 2016. Literary Matters: The Association of Literary Scholars, Critics, and Writers.

Summary

At the start of the poem, the speaker notices a man who looks like “the gods’ equal” (Line 1) as he sits down “across from you” (Line 3). As the speaker observes the man converse with her beloved, she experiences a series of intense emotions; as she listens to her beloved laugh and talk with the godlike man, she first feels passion for her beloved and then jealousy. These emotions manifest in a series of physical reactions that suggest that the speaker of the poem is experiencing a sense of isolation and despair while watching her beloved converse with the man. At the end of the poem, the speaker’s vitality ebbs, and she feels that death must be “very near” (Line 16).