If Not, Winter - Sappho (Part II)

Story Summary:

Anne Carson’s translation of If Not, Winter is a collection of fragments written by Sappho around 630 B.C.; although much of her work was lost over time, the fragments give insight to her ideas about life’s central themes such as beauty, love, desire, aging, and identity.

Reflections:

Love, passion, desire, and everything related are certainly prevalent throughout Sappho’s writing. Several of Sappho’s fragments specifically mention Eros, who is defined in the glossary as the “god of everything erotic.” His presence and authority in her writings, however, changes dramatically. In some fragments, Sappho presents Eros as very much in control; in others, he’s the powerless one. The amount of power Eros possesses also determines whether he’s regarded as a positive or negative force. These two competing portrayals of Eros suggest that Sappho herself was uncertain about eroticism, desire, and how to accept or reject it.

The first mention of Eros depicts his force in a negative light, as it describes the immense destructive power he possesses. An entire fragment reads, “Eros shook my mind like a mountain wind falling on oak trees” (99). Here, Eros is the subject in power carrying out the action. Sappho describes him as shaking her mind; this parallels the way in which desire is uncontrollable, unexpected, and sometimes unwanted. She possesses no power over this matter—Eros is in control, shaking her as violently as a mountain mind. Although “a mountain wind” could be read as a benevolent force, here it has a destructive tone. The fragment suggests that Eros, symbolizing uncontrollable desire, is a force uninvited.

In another fragment, Sappho seems less certain about Eros; he is pictured in both a positive and a negative light. On page 265, Sappho writes, “Eros the melter of limbs (now again) stirs me—sweetbitter unmanageable creature who steals in.” Some of the sentiment from the previously mentioned fragment remains; Eros certainly remains in control, and he “stirs” her. Once again, he “steals in,” symbolizing the unexpected and immediate way that desire overcomes a person. The word “unmanageable,” as explained in the footnotes, also represents Eros’ power over Sappho; she has no means to escape, because a means to escape doesn’t exist. As in the first fragment, Eros is portrayed as very much in power. We also see the presence of “now again,” which echoes other places in the text and refers to the cyclical nature of the subject. Eros controls Sappho on a recurring basis, and yet here she uses the word “sweetbitter” to describe his force. The “bitter” certainly acknowledges his unwarranted force, but the “sweet” suggests that she somewhat enjoys it. Although desire is controlling and forceful, it can also be enjoyable.

Later, Sappho mentions Eros as being powerless—a deep contrast to the previous two fragments. On page 159, the fragment reads, “Both you and my servant Eros.” Describing Eros as her “servant” is an interesting inverse to his previous role of uncompromising power. Here, Eros is completely under the control of Sappho; he is her “servant.” The fragment has a supremely positive connotation to it, as opposed to the primarily negative ones seen elsewhere. Because Eros is her “servant,” Sappho is in control of her own desire and can use it as she pleases. This makes Eros’ force much more “sweet” than “bitter.”

The competing portrayals of Eros complicate whether Sappho enjoyed or disliked desire’s force. When Eros is described as the subject in control, his force is primarily painted in a negative light. In contrast, the power of desire is described positively when Sappho is the subject in control. Because both depictions of Eros are present, there is not a strong consensus whether desire is predominantly positive or negative; the issue falls somewhere in the middle, as most things tend to do.

Words: 582