The Iliad by Homer (Review)

The Iliad by Homer (translated by Alexander Pope)

About the author

Homer is the presumed author of the Iliad and the Odyssey. There are loads of legends regarding the life of Homer however, what we can definitely confirm about him is his centrality to ancient Greek culture.

About the translator

Alexander Pope (1688-1744) is considered one of the greatest English poets, and the foremost poet of the early eighteenth century. He is best known for his satirical and discursive poetry, and his translations of the Iliad and the Odyssesy.

Blurb

The Iliad in Classical Attic; sometimes referred to as the Song of Ilion or Song of Ilium) is an ancient Greek epic poem in dactylic hexameter, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy (Ilium) by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles.

Review

I have been meaning to read this for many years and have finally got around to it and so I chose Alexander Pope’s translation that I had also used for a recent assignment.

Although I had never read this in its entirety before I am well aware of the story and have loved anything Greek Myth based since I can remember.

It took me a while to get into this as I must admit I found the translation rather stilted to begin with. However, once I got into the style I really began to enjoy the text and was happily reading it whenever I could.

This poem is absolutely wonderful. It has love, sex, violence, friendship and much more. Oh and it also has some very interfering Greek Gods who can’t help but meddle in the Greek and Trojan affairs.

The war between the Trojans and the Greeks begins because of Paris stealing Helen from Menelaus, or Helen went willingly depending on your take of events. Menelaus goes to his brother Agamemnon who immediately uses the situation to go to war on the Trojans who he has long wanted to conquer. Achilles the half man half god hero is the main character in this tale who goes to war with Agamemnon. Achilles does not take being told what to do well though and causes many problems for Agamemnon, including refusing to fight in the war for a very long time.

This is essentially a love story and not a love story about Paris and Helen. This is the love story of Achilles and Patroclus. Patroclus is everything that Achilles isn’t. He is a much better man, he is loving and he hates to see all the death caused by the war, he wants to help stop this war. Achilles on the other hand is too proud and when his pride is injured he refuses to help and does not care about the damage it causes.

Overall, I can see why this book has lasted through the centuries as I absolutely loved this book and I really want to read other translations of the text to see how different translators treat the story. I give this book a big 5 out of 5 Dragons.

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Friday Poetry: Edgar Allen Poe

Happy Friday!

This Friday’s poem is by the great Edgar Allen Poe.

Annabel Lee

It was many and many a year ago,

In a kingdom by the sea,

That a maiden there lived whom you may know

By the name of Annabel Lee;

And this maiden she lived with no other thought

Than to love and be loved by me.

She was a child and I was a child,

In this kingdom by the sea,

But we loved with a love that was more than love –

I and my Annabel Lee –

With a love that the winged seraphs of Heaven

Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that long ago,

In this kingdom by the sea,

A wind blew out of a cloud by night

Chilling my Annabel Lee;

So that her highborn kinsmen came

And bore her away from me,

To shut her up in a sepulchre

In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in Heaven,

Went envying her and me:

Yes! that was the reason (as all men know,

In this kingdom by the sea)

That the wind came out of the cloud, chilling

And killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love

Of those who were older than we –

Of many far wiser than we –

And neither the angels in Heaven above

Nor the demons down under the sea,

Can ever dissever my soul from the soul

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee:

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side

Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride,

In her sepulchre there by the sea –

In her tomb by the side of the sea.

Edgar Allen Poe

Friday Poetry: George MacDonald

Happy Friday!

Around this time of year lilies start to flower and although I’m highly allergic to lilies I do love water lilies and look forward to seeing them flower in our pond. So I have chosen a poem about lilies for this week.

Little White Lily

Little white Lily

Sat by a stone,

Drooping and waiting

Till the sun shone.

Little white Lily

Sunshine has fed;

Little white Lily

Is lifting her head.

Little white Lily

Said: ‘It is good:

Little white Lily’s

Clothing and fool!

Little white Lily

Drest like a bride!

Shining with whiteness,

And crowned beside!’

Little white Lily

Droopeth in pain,

Waiting and waiting

For the wet rain.

Little white Lily

Holdeth her cup;

Rain is fast falling,

And filling it up.

Little white Lily

Said: ‘Good again,

When I am thirsty

To have nice rain!

Now I am stronger,

Now I am cool;

Heat cannot burn me,

My veins are so full!’

Little white Lily

Smells very sweet:

On her head sunshine,

Rain at her feet.

‘Thanks to the sunshine!

Thanks to the rain!

Little white Lily

Is happy again!’

George MacDonald

Happy Reading!

Friday Poetry: Clive Webster

Happy Friday!

The poem I have chosen today is from a poet I’ve never come across before but I throughly like this poem so thought I would share it.

The Magic of the Mind

I’ve read in books of magic lands

So very far away,

Where genies pop up out of lamps

And magic creatures play.

Where wizards weave their magic spells

And dragons breathe out fire,

Where just one wish gives young and old

Their every heart’s desire.

Those lands, of course, are just in books,

But if you try real hard,

Those magic places come to life

Right in your own back yard.

For sitting quietly in the sun

On a lazy Summer’s day

You can sit and smile and dream you’re there

In those lands so far away.

And as the sunshine warms your mind

You’re in those golden lands,

With wizards, genies, dragons, spells,

And cut-throat pirate bands.

You’re saving damsels in distress,

You’re fighting deadly duels,

You’re banqueting in marbled halls,

You’re decked in priceless jewels.

You’re there, you’re there, no need for books,

So real and oh so clear,

So marvellous and so magical,

To touch and smell and hear,

Just sitting there in golden sun

You leave your cares behind,

And go to magic places

In the Magic of your Mind.

Clive Webster

Friday Poetry: Mandy Coe

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone has some fantastic books planned to read this weekend. I can’t help but remember that this time last year I was in Hawaii having an amazing holiday and reading some fab books by the pool.

Anyway, here is my chosen poem.

Amelia Earhart

‘…fears are paper tigers.’

A ribbon in her hair and mud on her dress

Amelia climbs too high

then, like any child in a tree,

blinks at the dizzying ground and sky.

Amelia spreads the map on her knees

to light the Atlantic with her torch.

She taps the fuel gauge, adjusts her course.

The stars seemed near enough to touch.

Amelia’s red Vega roars around

a world of cloud and sun and time,

and whenever a child defeats

her fears, Amelia still climbs.

Mandy Coe

Happy Reading

Friday Poetry: Emily Dickinson

Happy Friday Everyone!

I can’t quite believe it is Friday again so soon. I hope everyone has some good books planned for the weekend.

This week’s poem is by Emily Dickinson.

A Bird Came Down the Walk

A Bird came down the Walk –

He did not know I saw –

He bit an Angleworm in halves

And ate the fellow, raw,

And then he drank a Dew

From a convenient Grass –

And then hopped sidewise to the Wall

To let a Beetle pass –

He glanced with rapid eyes

That hurried all around –

They looked like frightened Beads, I thought –

He stirred his Velvet Head.

Like one in danger, Cautious,

I offered him a Crumb

And he unrolled his feathers

And rowed him softer home –

Than Oars divide the Ocean,

Too silver for a seam –

Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon

Leap, plashless as they swim.

Emily Dickinson

Friday Poetry: Spike Milligan

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone has some good book plans for the weekend.

My chosen poem this week is by Spike Milligan and I love it because it is nonsense and sometimes we all need a little nonsense in our lives. Oh and it mentions cats!

The Land of the Bumbley Boo

In the Land of the Bumbley Boo

The People are red white and blue,

They never blow noses,

Or ever wear closes,

What a sensible thing to do!

In the Land of the Bumbley Boo

You can buy Lemon Pie at the Zoo;

They give away Foxes

In little Pink Boxes

And Bottles of Dandylion Stew.

In the Land of the Bumbley Boo

You never see a Gnu,

But thousands of cats

Wearing trousers and hats

Made of Pumpkins and Pelican Clue!

Oh, the Bumbley Boo! the Bumbley Boo!

That’s the place for me and you!

So hurry! Let’s run!

The train leaves at one!

For the Land of the Bumbley Boo!

The wonderful Bumbley Boo-Boo-Boo!

The Wonderful Bumbley BOO!!!

Spike Milligan.

Happy reading!

Friday Poetry: Stevie Smith

Happy Friday!

I hope all my fellow Book Dragons have some good books planned for the weekend.

This week’s poem is only short but it hits home with me at this time. This poem is about friendship and spending time with friends. I must admit I miss my friends at the moment. My best friend is a 4 hour car journey away and I miss her like crazy. We speak daily but it isn’t the same as a proper catch up. Hopefully we will be able to meet up soon.

Florence Margaret Smith, known as Stevie Smith (20th September 1902 – 7th March 1971), was an English poet and novelist. She was awarded the Cholmondelay Award for Poets and won the Queen’s Gold Medal for poetry.

The Pleasures of Friendship

The pleasures of friendship are exquisite,

How pleasant to go to a friend on a visit!

I go to my friend, we walk on the grass,

And the hours and moments like minutes pass.

Stevie Smith.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Friday Poetry: Emily Dickinson

Hello and Happy Friday!

I have gone for another Emily Dickinson poem this week, I promise I’m not obsessed, I think…

I like this poem because it has an air of mystery because you don’t actually know what the thing that Emily Dickinson has lost is. It also shows that to us it might be important but to somebody else it might be a trivial thing.

I Lost a World – the Other Day!

I lost a World – the other day!

Has Anybody found?

You’ll know it by the Row of Stars

Around its forehead bound.

A Rich man – might not notice it –

Yet – to my frugal Eye,

Of more Esteem than Ducats –

Oh find it – Sir – for me!

Emily Dickinson

Happy weekend everyone.

Friday Poetry: Emily Dickinson

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone has some good books planned for the weekend. I have spent a bit of time in the garden today and it was wonderful to see the bees in the flowers which led to me choosing this poem. Sadly our pond has no frogs though.

Bee! I’m Expecting You!

Bee! I’m expecting you!

Was saying Yesterday

To somebody you know

That you were due –

The Frogs got Home last Week –

Are settled, and at work –

Birds, mostly back –

The Clover warm and thick –

You’ll get my Letter by

The seventeenth; Reply

Or better, be with me –

Yours, Fly.

Emily Dickinson

Have a good weekend!