Grief In Homer And Sappho

Homer and Sappho contend that the best way to cope with grief is to transform that emotion into rage towards the entity that has wronged them because the actions spurred by anger helps an individual gain what they want most. Both authors agree that regardless of the form of love an individual feels, the stages of grief that they cycle through are clear: initially, individuals experience the sting of grief and attempt to protect themselves against its harsh effects by shunning reality, once their pseudo reality is shattered, their grief transforms into anger towards the entity that has wronged them. In the case of Homer’s hymn To Demeter, the goddess attempts to assuage her grief over the abduction of her daughter by
In relation to Homer’s …show more content…
Demeter and Sappho both inflict self- punishment, which becomes the stepping stone into channeling their emotions into anger that ultimately enables them to attain what they desire. In terms of Homer’s hymn To Demeter, the goddess attempts to soothe the grief of the loss of her relationship with her daughter through self -punishment. To elaborate, Demeter is offered a cup of sweet wine but she replies with “she must not swallow”(9). As a goddess that is lavished with opulence, she refuses an offering of wine and instead asks for a simple cup of water with barley. Demeter restrains herself from the luxuries that she has endured and acts to live as a lowly mortal as repentance for her inability to protect her daughter. However, Demeter realizes that it was not her inability to protect her daughter that resulted in her abduction but the result of Zeus’ decision to allow Hades to take her. Accordingly, Demeter channels that self- punishment into anger and retribution towards Zeus which ultimately causes Zeus to reunite Persephone back with Demeter. In the case of Sappho, she inflicts self -punishment upon herself by rehashing the memories that she had with her lover exemplified by “you would let loose your longing and neither any [ ] nor any holy place nor was there from which we were absent” (94). By ruminating over the past, she causes herself pain because in the back of her mind she knows that she can never get those memories backs. However, those emotions quickly transform into anger towards her lover that eventually fizzles out and provides Sappho a sense of peace and hope for new love as previously