On reading Homer's ILIAD.

On reading Homer's ILIAD

I take some small pride in having read

   a tale that speaks of doom and dread,

a tale of warfare, love, and death

   tale of gasping, dying breath.

I traveled back in time, you see

   to Grecian warfare, breathlessly

describing gore with all due diligence

   and though some fought with innocence

the Gods descending, meddling

   their selfish agendas peddling;

heroes dying, some surviving

   mankind's lot: ever striving

Fighting fate, fighting doom

   all within my living room

I shut the book, pent breath release

   I'm back home, and all's at peace.

----(dls...if you hadnae guessed.)

Okay, that's my take on the Iliad. I found it repetitive and dull, breathless and flowery, overblown and underplotted. I found it tedious to read and exciting to look back at--I just read a story that's some 2,700 years old!

I feel enriched and wiser, more in touch with some of the deeper roots of western culture. Hmm, I guess the doc was right--I swallowed the tart-tasting medicine and it really was good for me.

Here's Robert Browing's take on THE ILIAD:

robert browning "development"

http://www.telelib.com/authors/B/BrowningRobert/verse/asolando/development.html


After reading Browning's poem, I'm all the more pleased to have read this epic tale, since the Iliad plays a part of our history and culture, on which modern literary roots feed. To whit: the movie TROY, 2006, was a retake on the Iliad.

Thinking as a writer--hmm...I looked at the book first of all from a modern viewpoint: hence, my harsh critique above. However, if I step outside our modern context and try to view it in its own context, as much as is possible from a distance of 2,700 yrs...well, it's epic! In the original Greek, it had meter but did not rhyme, yet, the mark of an educated man was the ability to recite the Iliad (and its sequel, the 400 page Odyssey) from memory!

Boring analysis, perhaps, but that's what I'm learning. And, doggone...it's fun!

=-=-=-=

"It was Homer who formed the character of the Greek nation. No poet has ever, as a poet, exercised a similar influence over his countrymen. Prophets, lawgivers, and sages have formed the character of other nations; it was reserved to a poet to form that of the Greeks."

Length, Width, and Depth...

You can't do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.

--H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (1880-1956).

 

==-=-=-=-=-==-=--===-==--=-=-=-=-=-=

I was talking with a (rising) high school freshman today, and told her that I was still excited about reading more history books. Kudos to Dr. Askew @ Gordon College many moons ago--he was such a great teacher that Elizabeth would sit in on his lectures when she visiting.

Something that has emerged among authors of history books aimed at the lay audience is to organize about a theme. A favorite was WATER, by Stephen Solomon, 2010. He looked at societies (ancient thru modern) that harnessed rivers for irrigation, by canals for transport, mills for grain and machines, sea for transport...it made for a fascinating framework upon which to hang a 500 page history of the world. Simply stated, water for food, transport, and machines provided simple yet major themes that naturally run thru human history.
...also: Jared Diamond's

Guns, Germs, & Steel...and his COLLAPSE.

Freese, Barbara..............

Coal: a Human History.

.....dittoes for major theme.

[Sorry, as I'm pasting in titles and authors, the formatting is going nutso.]

I asked myself why history was never taught like this in el-hi schooling? Sure makes it more interesting, as well as more digestible!

Any historical titles that've fascinated you lately? Or other non-fiction? To me, writing fiction that holds one's attention feels easier than penning superb non-fiction that grabs the reader...hmm, now that I think it over, since I've written both genres, I guess both are amenable to humor, asides, literary devices like alliteration and figurative language, varied pace, and varying points of view.

Love writing this blog...it helps me think about things from a different perspective....that whole breadth/depth/length (which, multiplied, equals volume, btw!)Thnx for reading and commenting. Right. Just click on the leetle yaller pencil icon below and scribe away. Remember that older blog entries can be accessed in the right-hand column, labeled by month.