Sappho was an ancient Greek poet known for her lyrical poetry that often explored themes of love and desire. Her influential verses, such as the famed Ode to Aphrodite, established her reputation as one of history's greatest lyric poets.
If you enjoy reading books by Sappho then you might also like the following authors:
If you enjoy Sappho, you'll probably like Anacreon as well. He wrote short, lyrical poetry that celebrates love, friendship, and enjoying life's pleasures. The tone of his poems is often playful and carefree.
A good example is Odes of Anacreon, which captures his easygoing and joyful style.
Alcaeus shares many themes with Sappho, including friendship, politics, wine, and love. His writing is direct and powerful, expressing personal emotions and political opinions with honesty.
One of his notable works is the collection of his poems known as Fragments of Alcaeus, filled with vivid imagery and strong social commentary.
Pindar is known for his grand poetic style focused on heroes and athletic victories. If you like the rich and emotional language of Sappho, try Pindar's lively poems—especially his famous Victory Odes, celebrating the triumphs and virtues of Olympic champions.
His work is bold, celebratory, and full of striking metaphors.
Bacchylides' poetry feels smooth, gentle, and beautifully crafted, much like Sappho's lyric style. He often explored myths, heroes, and human feelings in his poetry, creating a calm yet emotionally resonant atmosphere.
His famous work, Odes and Dithyrambs, offers poetic narratives filled with vivid descriptions and delicate beauty.
Archilochus wrote poetry that was bold, blunt, and sometimes biting. He didn't hold back, openly expressing strong emotions—anger, personal resentment, and passion. If you appreciate the emotional honesty found in Sappho, you might enjoy Archilochus' poetry as well.
His collection, often referred to as Fragments of Archilochus, shows his sharp wit and fearless style.
If you love the emotional honesty and vivid imagery of Sappho, Catullus is an ideal poet to explore next. Like Sappho, Catullus writes lyric poetry that feels deeply personal. He covers intense emotions such as love, heartbreak, joy, and anger with a direct and passionate voice.
His style is intimate, playful at times, and often sharp. In Carmina, you'll find some of his best-known poems that blend raw emotion and poetic beauty seamlessly.
Fans of Sappho's exploration of desire and personal feeling will enjoy Ovid's approachable yet elegant style. In his poetry collection Amores, Ovid captures love, passion, and the complicated dynamics between lovers in fresh and witty ways.
His verses flow naturally, mixing vivid imagery with genuine feeling. Readers who appreciate Sappho's lyrical honesty will find plenty to appreciate in Ovid's thoughtful reflections on human desire.
If the clarity and depth of Sappho's poetry speak to you, Emily Dickinson is a wonderful poet to read next. Dickinson offers a similarly concise and insightful exploration of love, isolation, nature, and mortality in her poetry. Her voice is reflective and deeply insightful.
Dickinson often manages to express powerful emotions in only a few brief lines. Her collection The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson showcases poems that stay with readers long after they've finished reading.
Those enchanted by Sappho's passionate and direct lyric poetry are likely to connect with Edna St. Vincent Millay. Millay writes with intensity, clarity, and a strong sense of individuality.
Like Sappho, she confidently voices her own experiences of love, desire, rebellion, and loss. Her poetry collection A Few Figs from Thistles is bold and unapologetic, filled with independence and vivid emotional scenes.
For readers attracted to Sappho's use of powerful imagery and intimate expression, H.D. offers poetry with similar grace and emotional resonance. Associated with the Imagist movement, H.D. writes highly visual poetry that explores love, mythology, spirituality, and identity.
Her deeply felt collection Sea Garden presents concise, precise images that convey complex emotions, making her an exciting and rewarding poet to discover for Sappho enthusiasts.
Louise Labé was a 16th-century French poet whose passionate poems capture the ups and downs of romantic desire. Her direct and sincere language makes her poetry feel timeless. Readers who appreciate Sappho's intensity will enjoy Labé's frankness and emotional depth.
Her sonnets, available in Complete Poetry and Prose, express love's joys, longings, and sorrows in an open voice that resonates today.
Christina Rossetti was an English poet of the Victorian era, loved for her lyric poems that explore themes of love, loss, and personal introspection. Like Sappho, Rossetti conveys intense emotions and uses symbolic imagery to reveal deeper truths about human experience.
Her poem collection Goblin Market and Other Poems is known especially for its vivid imagery, sensuality, and exploration of women's experiences.
Adrienne Rich was an American poet whose work combines personal honesty with a strong feminist perspective. Her poems deal openly with identity, sexuality, and social justice, making her a meaningful voice for those who value Sappho's courage in expressing personal truths.
Rich's collection Diving into the Wreck is powerful and thought-provoking, enabling readers to question traditional gender roles and societal norms.
Audre Lorde was an American poet and activist who wrote boldly and honestly about race, feminism, and queer identity. Her poems often express a passionate commitment to self-expression and social change, echoing the courage and clarity in Sappho's poetry.
Her collection The Black Unicorn is memorable for its lyrical imagery, personal vulnerability, and exploration of identity and empowerment.
Renée Vivien was an early 20th-century English poet who wrote primarily in French, creating poems that explore love, desire, and feminine beauty with elegance and sensuality. Much like Sappho, she reflects openly and passionately on same-sex desire and personal longing.
Her collection A Crown of Violets includes lyrical, emotionally revealing works dedicated often to women she admired or loved.