Which of the possible allusions, to Stevenson or to Sappho, appears clearest? If Eliot had not mentioned Sappho in his note to line 221 would anyone ever see the allusion to her work?
How would Stevenson's poem relate to The Waste Land? How about Sappho's poem?
Why do you suppose Eliot wanted the allusion to Sappho's work noted? Was his note just a way of inserting the mention of fishermen into the poem that may have been removed in editing the poem? Was it because the comparison between the herdsman and the fisherman was significant? Was his note actually a way to allude to Sappho herself, and if so, why? Is the mention of a nighttime gathering of Sappho's poem significant in any way?
Is Eliot just playing a joke on his here?