Sappho O Tar Kabita by Madhushree Gupta [Hardcover]

Sappho: The Lost Voice of Ancient Poetry

Nearly 2,500 years ago, on the Greek island of Lesbos, was born one of the most gifted poets of all time—Sappho. Her poetry, infused with themes of fleeting time, love, mortality, and beauty, deeply influenced literary greats like Shakespeare, Horace, and Catullus.

In the rigidly patriarchal society of ancient Greece, women were completely subjugated and silenced. Yet, Sappho, despite being a daughter of that very era, rose to prominence through the sheer brilliance of her poetry. Even in her own time, she was regarded as one of the world’s greatest poets.

She is believed to have composed nearly 10,000 lines of poetry, but only about 650 lines have survived the ravages of time. At some point, her works mysteriously disappeared—though the exact reason remains unknown. Some scholars speculate that her poetry, which openly celebrated same-sex love, may have led to its deliberate destruction.

However, history had other plans. Centuries later, during excavations in Egypt, fragments of Sappho’s poetry—written on decayed and tattered papyrus—were unearthed from beneath layers of ancient ruins. After centuries of oblivion, Sappho’s lost verses resurfaced, marking the long-awaited return of a poetic voice once thought to be erased forever.