If Not, Winter - Sappho

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:

Sappho offers competing notions of beauty in her writing; although it is one of her most discussed topics, it’s also one of the most versatile.

Beauty is described in several places in terms of youth; to be young is to be beautiful. This echoes what Agathon states in Symposium; Phaedrus is the youngest of the gods, and therefore the most beautiful and the best. The fragment, “beautiful gifts children,” appears on page 121 of If Not, Winter. Although the context of this fragment is missing, Sappho makes a direct connection here between youth and beauty. On page 45, she says, “you will remember for we in our youth did these things—yes many and beautiful things.” Once again she establishes the connection between youth and beauty; beautiful things occurred when she was young, but now in old age seem to be absent—dismissed as a thing of the past.

She confirms this again on page 121, when she repeatedly mentions her old age, saying “all my skin old age already hair turned white after black.” Sappho goes on to say, “but I love delicacy and this to me—the brilliance and beauty of the sun—desire has allotted” (121). A note in the back of the text by Carson suggests that this last line may be alluding to the story of Tithanos; he is so beautiful that he is given immortal life at the request of a goddess but doesn’t receive immortal youth (369). If this story is indeed what Sappho is referring to, then it reinforces the notion that youth (and also love) are defined by beauty. The goddess was drawn to Tithanos because of his beauty, but despite her attempts to procure it for herself, they lost the battle to old age, and beauty diminished. Sappho acknowledges that beauty is fleeting and something enjoyed by the young, but it isn’t forgotten. Yet another instance of this is seen on page 45, where it says, “you will remember for we in our youth did these things—yes many and beautiful things.” Beauty is frequently associated with youth in Sappho’s fragments as something wonderful, but long expired. However, although beauty is lost in old age, it lives on in memory.

Sappho primarily describes beauty referring to physicality; this is definitely true when she defines beauty by youth. She speaks often of Aphrodite and Helen, two women who are symbolic for their outside beauty. However, on page 105, she fleetingly offers a different interpretation of beauty. Although physical beauty is mentioned, inner beauty is the more prominent theme. She says, “For the man who is beautiful is beautiful to see but the good man will at once also beautiful be” (105). For the first time, Sappho connects beauty to inner goodness. Here physical beauty is recognized, but a beautiful personality receives even more recognition. This competes with the strong link Sappho draws between beauty and youth—inner beauty remains even in old age, but previously received no acknowledgement.

Another competing notion of love appears on page 27, where Sappho says, “Some men say an army of horses and some men say an army on foot and some men say an army of ships is the most beautiful thing on the black earth. But I say it is what you love.” Here Sappho defines beauty in terms of love while simultaneously establishing a deep contrast to what is considered masculine. Similarly to Sappho’s discussion on page 105, beauty is defined as intrinsic rather than extrinsic. These two fragments, one defining beauty as love and the other defining beauty as goodness, seem much more correlated than her numerous fragments defining beauty as youth. However, each definition is different and valid in its own way. Although Sappho uses the term “beauty” in many different lights, she uses it so honestly regardless of context that it becomes a versatile term suitable for each situation.

Words: 649