Eros the bittersweet
Eros the bittersweet
by
Anne Carson
This is a small book (189 pages) that deals with the many different aspects of the Grecian concept of Eros (a Greek god) from the aspect of lyrical poetry especially that of Sappho and Plato among others. This book could be considered a series of essays on erotic desire and how it relates to the desire for knowledge. Anne Carson beautifully analyzes Sappho's language of love. The author explores the concept of Eros in both philosophy and literature and she does it with a poetic sensitivity.
A little piece from the book:
“It was Sappho who first called Eros “bittersweet.” No one who has been in love disputes her. What does the word mean?
Eros seemed to Sappho at once an experience of pleasure and pain. Here is contradiction and perhaps paradox. To perceive this Eros can split the mind in two. Why? The components of the contradiction may seem at first glance obvious. There might be several reasons why what is sweet should also be bitter. There may be various relations between the two savors. Poets have sorted the matter out in different ways. Sappho’s own formulation is a good place to begin tracing the possibilities.”
If you have any interest in poetry especially that of ancient Greece then you will enjoy reading this book.
by
Anne Carson
This is a small book (189 pages) that deals with the many different aspects of the Grecian concept of Eros (a Greek god) from the aspect of lyrical poetry especially that of Sappho and Plato among others. This book could be considered a series of essays on erotic desire and how it relates to the desire for knowledge. Anne Carson beautifully analyzes Sappho's language of love. The author explores the concept of Eros in both philosophy and literature and she does it with a poetic sensitivity.
A little piece from the book:
“It was Sappho who first called Eros “bittersweet.” No one who has been in love disputes her. What does the word mean?
Eros seemed to Sappho at once an experience of pleasure and pain. Here is contradiction and perhaps paradox. To perceive this Eros can split the mind in two. Why? The components of the contradiction may seem at first glance obvious. There might be several reasons why what is sweet should also be bitter. There may be various relations between the two savors. Poets have sorted the matter out in different ways. Sappho’s own formulation is a good place to begin tracing the possibilities.”
If you have any interest in poetry especially that of ancient Greece then you will enjoy reading this book.