Search -
Sappho and Phaon: In a Series of Legitimate Sonnets(1796) (Scholars' Facsimiles & Reprints)
Sappho and Phaon In a Series of Legitimate Sonnets - 1796 - Scholars' Facsimiles & Reprints Author:Mary Robinson Sappho here differs radically from the version that would emerge in the 19th century. In fact, this had really been the normative view of Sappho since the Renaissance. In this sonnet sequence, which does not appear to contain any actual lines from Sappho, Sappho is the tortured lover of a boatman, Phaon. She follows him to Sicily, and finally le... more »aps off the Leucadian cliffs to her doom. It is not unlikely that this tale of love gone wrong appealed to Robinson on a very personal level. Robinson, during her lifetime, was known as 'the English Sappho,' and has recently been rediscovered as a feminist trailblazer. (Quote from sacred-texts.com)
About the Author
Mary Robinson, nee Darby (1757 - 26 December 1800) the English poet and novelist, was also known for her role as Perdita (heroine of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale) in 1779. It was during this performance that she attracted the notice of the young Prince of Wales, later King George IV of Great Britain and Ireland. Her affair with him ended in 1781, and "Perdita" Robinson was left to support herself through an annuity granted by the Crown (in return for some letters written by the Prince) in 1783 and through her writings. Today, she is remembered both as the first public mistress of George IV, and as a woman writer of the late 18th century. (Quote from wikipedia.org)
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology.