The Songs of Bilitis are separated into three cycles, each representative of a phase of Bilitis' life: Bucolics in Pamphylia- childhood and first sexual encounters, Elegies at Mytilene- indulgence in homosexual sensuality, and Epigrams in the Isle of Cyprus- life as a courtesan.
One of Louÿs' technical accomplishments was to coincide Bilitis' growing maturity and emotional complexity with her changing views of divinity and the world around her- after leaving Pamphylia and Mytilene, she becomes involved in intricate mysteries, moving away from a mythical world inhabited by satyrs and Naiads.