The Importance Of Love In Sappho's 'Deathless Aphrodite'

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Can a simple emotion such as love be regarded as one of the greatest weapons to create or attain power? It’s a renowned fact that human beings are by nature designed to need, crave, and even require love as part of their survival mechanisms. It comes to no surprise that one of the first accounts of antique poetry maintains love and the craving for it as its main theme; thereby, reinforcing the deep importance that it upholds in the lives of many individuals. Sappho’s “Deathless Aphrodite” clearly epitomizes the suffering and bitterness that arises from an unrequited love. In Sappho’s case, which portrays the case of many, she constantly finds herself in loneliness and despair for though she tries repeatedly, she is only let down recurrently as no one reciprocates the love she gives. It is only the Greek goddess Aphrodite, who holds …show more content…

Sappho, who is very well the speaker and author of the poem, clearly recognizes the substantial impact that love creates in relation to the amount of happiness people experience. Those who are successful in the game love, whether it be by giving it or receiving it, are far happier than those who confront despair and rejection. Finding love means finding the acceptance, companionship, and most of all, happiness that everyone strives to receive in their lifetime. As a result, love becomes a weapon for power, superiority, and control. For instance, love as a weapon of power relates to the notion that a person can distort the sentiments and mentality of another person by means of altering the amount of happiness they experience in regards to love. For many, finding love means finding true happiness and a sense of emotional stability and accomplishment. In the Sapphic poem, “Deathless Aphrodite”, Sappho experiences emotional instability once more as this is not the first time she is faced with rejection. Sappho has suffered and called out for help many a time given that she’s unable to

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