Sappho's Lyre: Archaic Lyric and Women Poets of Ancient Greece

by Diane J. Rayor

Book Overview

Sappho sang her poetry to the accompaniment of the lyre on the Greek island of Lesbos over 2500 years ago. Throughout the Greek world, her contemporaries composed lyric poetry full of passion, and in the centuries that followed the golden age of archaic lyric, new forms of poetry emerged. In this unique anthology, today's reader can enjoy the works of seventeen poets, including a selection of archaic lyric and the complete surviving works of the ancient...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520073363
• ISBN13: 9780520073364
• Release Date: October 1991
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 234 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

A Summary of Sappho's Lyre

"Sappho's Lyre", written by Diane J. Rayor, is sensationally crafted in chronological order to afford today's modern audience the ability to understand and appreciate the lyrics of ancient Greek poetry. This volume is significant as it includes the works of all the ancient women poets together in one book for the first time ever. Along with the works of the seventeen poets who composed various genres of lyric poetry over 2500 years ago, "Sappho's Lyre" includes an introduction and notes section to explain the characters as well as the history of events taking place during the time each of the poets' lyrics are composed. These poets use their lyrics and musical instruments as a way of communicating the events and feelings of the individuals and their communities during the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic periods. Diane Rayor does an extraordinary job of explaining in modern day language the growth and development of ancient poetry.