Sappho's vs. Petrarch on the Body
D.P.L.
Professor M.H.
The Divine Body Humans are wired for sex. Physical interaction is possibly the most intuitive emotion we have as a species. Sex and body image are absurdly prominent in today’s culture, and have been since the beginning of written history. Sexuality is only a surface desire though. What lies beneath the surface is where a person’s true beauty rests. The poets Sappho and Petrarch are two very early writers that often focused on the human body, sexuality, and desire but in different ways. Sappho’s body of work is a reaction and praise to the exterior beauty of many individuals. Petrarch’s sonnets are a repeated effort to unearth the root of divine beauty. Sappho’s poems were more direct and in a relatable way. The way the Greek poet discussed was with words of physical feelings and reactions to emotions. She compared an individual named Anactoria that she desired to the famoud Helen of Troy, whose beauty has been expressed throughout literature for a long, long time. “…although far away, / whose long-desired footstep, whose radiant, sparkling face / I would rather see before me than the chariots / of Lydia or the armour of men / who fight wars on foot” (Sappho 21). In this passage the Greek poet is longing for Anactoria, whom she once knew. In reminiscing about her Sappho recalls the way she walked, how her skin reacted to the light, and how she feels peaceful when she is around. Sappho is suggesting that one’s beauty is partly contained in their body but also partly related to how that body is used. The essence that the woman in her poem 21 exhibits is her true beauty. In one of her poems her feelings for a recently married friend read, “…and sweat pours down me and a trembling creeps over my whole body…” (Sappho 20). In most of, but especially this poem in particular, Sappho is expressing her bestial, sexual urges. She is not always so lascivious. Often, the poet writes about more tragic subjects. In her poem 33 she describes her
Professor M.H.
The Divine Body Humans are wired for sex. Physical interaction is possibly the most intuitive emotion we have as a species. Sex and body image are absurdly prominent in today’s culture, and have been since the beginning of written history. Sexuality is only a surface desire though. What lies beneath the surface is where a person’s true beauty rests. The poets Sappho and Petrarch are two very early writers that often focused on the human body, sexuality, and desire but in different ways. Sappho’s body of work is a reaction and praise to the exterior beauty of many individuals. Petrarch’s sonnets are a repeated effort to unearth the root of divine beauty. Sappho’s poems were more direct and in a relatable way. The way the Greek poet discussed was with words of physical feelings and reactions to emotions. She compared an individual named Anactoria that she desired to the famoud Helen of Troy, whose beauty has been expressed throughout literature for a long, long time. “…although far away, / whose long-desired footstep, whose radiant, sparkling face / I would rather see before me than the chariots / of Lydia or the armour of men / who fight wars on foot” (Sappho 21). In this passage the Greek poet is longing for Anactoria, whom she once knew. In reminiscing about her Sappho recalls the way she walked, how her skin reacted to the light, and how she feels peaceful when she is around. Sappho is suggesting that one’s beauty is partly contained in their body but also partly related to how that body is used. The essence that the woman in her poem 21 exhibits is her true beauty. In one of her poems her feelings for a recently married friend read, “…and sweat pours down me and a trembling creeps over my whole body…” (Sappho 20). In most of, but especially this poem in particular, Sappho is expressing her bestial, sexual urges. She is not always so lascivious. Often, the poet writes about more tragic subjects. In her poem 33 she describes her