Poem 24C Revision

] Oh beauty, my soul

] we live

] under the rainbow

the opposite

] but parallel to other loving minds

daring

] to pursue

] treasure beyond the rainbow bridge

Diagram

After diagraming about the poem 31, I want to separate it into three parts: a scene, Sappho’s emotion and her understanding.

The first two paragraphs pictured a scene showing Sappho is watching her lover talking sweetly and closely to a man. She describes the man is almost equal to gods showing her admiration to the man’s ability to have her lover stayed by his side. Sappho loves her lover and desires to sit along with her. But maybe only a godlike man is able to do this.

Then, the following two paragraphs described Sappho’s broken tongue, skin is on fire, and she can see or hear nothing, and is dying. It’s hard to figure out why there is a “no:” in the beginning. I guessed that this show Sappho is afraid to lose her lover. Because Sappho loves her lover so much, when another man is attracting her lover’s attention, she has a strong fear of losing her. She feels helpless but she can’t help loving the lady.

The last sentence is hard to understand and it’s not complete. It probably means the behaviors and emotions which appeared in the above lines should be allowed. That is to say, the man’ s attractions to her lover, her lover’s willingness to speak and laugh sweetly to the man, and Sappho’s love to the lady and fear of losing her, all of them should be dare to do and should be respected. Because even a poor person has the right to show his love and enjoy his love.