Sappho  (621 - 570 BC, estimated)  is one of the few early female poets we know about. Born into an aristocratic family in Greece, then married to a wealthy merchant, she enjoyed the freedom and opportunity to study and explore the arts at will. Although there was one period of time when political oppression caused her to flee her home, Sappho’s life was generally one of comfort and happiness. Her poems describe festivals, parades, celebrations, love, and the joy of friends; they were typically sung, or accompanied by music (usually played on a lyre). Sappho was famous enough during her lifetime to see monuments erected in her honor, and her influence on poetry is undeniable. It is also possible that she invented the pick—in which case, her impact on the world of music is equally significant!