Sappho Playing the Lyre. Léopold Burthe (French, 1823-1860). Oil on canvas. Musée des Beaux-Arts de Carcassonne.
Sappho was called a lyrist because, as was the custom of the time, she wrote her poems to be performed with the accompaniment of a lyre. Sappho was one of the first poets to write from the first person, describing love and loss as it affected her personally. Her style was sensual and melodic; primarily songs of love, yearning, and reflection.
