Fragment 31

Sappho wrote “Fragment 31” centuries ago in her Greek homeland with the intention of performing her poetry as songs. Contemporary readers should therefore remember two important details. First, readers who do not read Greek experience Sappho’s poetry through the words of a translator who adds unique interpretations and impressions to Sappho’s original version. This study guide uses the Christopher Childers translation of “Fragment 31” which first appeared in Boston University’s literary magazine AGNI, volume 83. Second, Sappho intended for listeners to hear her poetry in the original Greek, not read it; however, this study guide refers to “readers” of the poem rather than listeners. Critics widely accept “Fragment 31” and other poems by Sappho as iconic examples of the lyric form.

Poet Biography

Sappho was a Greek poet who lived from 610-570 BCE. Sappho, known for her lyric poetry, wrote these poems as songs accompanied by the music of the lyre. Today, all her poetry, except for one 28-line poem, exists in fragments; Sappho’s complete works in their original form remain lost to the passage of time.

According to historical records, Sappho is likely to have spent most of her life in a town called Mytilene on the Greek island of Lesbos.