Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Giacomo Leopardi’s poem "Sappho's Last Song" is a deeply moving exploration of despair, alienation, and the tragic fate of the ancient Greek poet Sappho, who is often regarded as the first known female poet in Western history. Through Sappho’s voice, Leopardi expresses profound existential anguish, reflecting on the cruelties of fate, the indifference of nature, and the stark realities of unfulfilled love. The poem is imbued with a sense of finality, as Sappho contemplates her own impending death, lamenting the loss of youth, beauty, and the dreams that once sustained her.

The poem begins with Sappho addressing the peaceful night, the "shamefaced light" of the moon, and the "star of the morning" as it rises above the "silent cliff-top woods." These images evoke the tranquil beauty of nature, which Sappho once cherished. However, she immediately contrasts her former love for these "fine sights" with her current despair, stating that such calm, quiet scenes can no longer "cheer my hopeless heart." This shift in tone signals a profound change in Sappho’s emotional state, marking the transition from a life once filled with appreciation for beauty to one now overshadowed by sorrow and disillusionment.

Sappho's disconnection from the natural world is further emphasized as she reveals that she now finds joy only in "stormy weather." She describes her exhilaration in the midst of nature’s fury—when "dusty southern winds / Cleave the clear air" and "thunder rolls / Like Jove's great chariot over my head." This preference for tumultuous, violent weather reflects her inner turmoil, as she identifies more with the chaos and destruction of the storm than with the serene beauty she once admired. The imagery of "terror-stricken flocks in scattered flight" and "wave after wave go rushing over / Crumbled banks" mirrors the emotional devastation she experiences, suggesting that the stormy landscape is a more fitting representation of her shattered spirit.

Leopardi uses nature as both a mirror and a contrast to Sappho’s inner world. While the earth is "gorgeous…drenched in dew," and the sky is described as a "wide cloak," Sappho feels that "the gods and grim-lipped fate" have denied her any share of this "infinite beauty." Her alienation is profound—she is a "tiresome wretched guest" in nature’s "grand, indifferent domain." The natural world, which once brought her solace, now seems indifferent to her suffering, and she perceives herself as an outsider, abandoned and scorned by the very elements she once loved. The stream, for instance, "slides and winds away / In scorn from these soiled and slippery feet," symbolizing nature’s rejection of her presence.

Sappho’s lamentation extends beyond her disconnection from nature to a broader reflection on her fate and the cruelty of the gods. She questions what "offense" or "loathsome crime" she committed before birth that caused heaven and fortune to frown upon her so severely. She reflects on her "iron-dark thread of life" that was "twisted on fate's implacable spindle," devoid of the "summer colors of youth." This metaphor of fate spinning a dark thread for her life underscores the inevitability of her suffering and the harshness of her destiny.

In a poignant reflection on her own mortality, Sappho acknowledges that she will soon die, and her "naked soul will seek some refuge / In the land of the dead." She sees death as the only escape from the injustices inflicted upon her by chance and fate. Her body, described as a "poor unworthy cloak," will be cast off, revealing her soul in its purest form. This shedding of the physical body represents a release from the suffering tied to her earthly existence, and a return to a state of spiritual purity.

Sappho’s unrequited love is another source of deep anguish in the poem. She addresses the person for whom she has spent her years in "fruitless love," a love that remains "faithful forever" despite being marked by "unsatisfied desire." Her unrequited love, which has consumed her, stands in stark contrast to the happiness she wishes for her beloved, if any mortal can indeed find happiness on earth. Sappho’s despair is intensified by the realization that the "sweet blessings" of life were never given to her, leaving her with only the bitterness of unfulfilled dreams and the inevitability of death.

The poem concludes with a somber reflection on the transience of life and the inevitability of death. Sappho laments that "our happiest days are first to fly," leaving only "illness, old age, and the icy-handed / Shadow of death." She acknowledges that all the "hopes and high ambitions" and "dear / Enchantments of the heart" have faded, leaving only death as her final companion. The "quick, bright spirit" that once defined her will be handed over "to the queen of shadows" and to "black night, and the speechless shore," where she will find her ultimate rest.

"Sappho's Last Song" is a powerful exploration of the themes of love, fate, and existential despair. Through Sappho’s voice, Leopardi captures the profound sorrow of a life marked by unfulfilled desires, the harshness of fate, and the inevitable approach of death. The poem resonates with universal themes of loss and longing, offering a deeply moving reflection on the human condition and the often-cruel indifference of the world.

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