I have made no secret of the fact that I am a big poetry fan. Strangely enough I have an easier time understanding verse than prose. Well April is National Poetry Month which makes me want to crack open some poesy. I have my favorites, it's tough to choose just one. Collections are invaluable for such moments of indecision. I own Immortal Poems by Oscar Williams. It's got all the classic works that I'd want.
Speaking of classics lately my mind has drifted back to the Odyssey, which is one of my favorite epic tales. I read The Odyssey first in verse, rather than the usual prose versions. Reading it that way I think brought out the classic qualities of the story for me. Like I was hearing the story being told aloud, which reflected the oral tradition which Homer's works represent. Anyway here is my favorite passage in verse. This is a translation from Ian Johnston. Enjoy!
"Not till that time did she start harbouring
within her heart the disastrous folly
which made sorrow come to us as well.
But now you've mentioned that clear symbol,
our bed, which no one else has ever seen,
other than the two of us, you and me,
and a single servant woman, Actoris,
whom my father gave me when I came here.
For both of us she kept watch at the doors
of our strong bedroom. You've now won my heart,
Penelope spoke,
and stirred in him an even more intense desire
to weep. As he held his loyal and loving wife,
he cried."
Have a great weekend! Book Slave.
No comments:
Post a Comment