Brilliant Minds

Selections for Chaucer

Be sure to read: The Prologue, The Knight's Tale, The Miller's Tale, The Nun's Priest's Tale, The Pardoner's Tale, and The Wife of Bath's Tale.

Article on Greek Meter

Here is link to an excellent article on the meters of classical Greek poetry: Introduction to Greek Meter. (This will link to a PDF file.) So much of what we miss in translation is a direct appreciation for the sophistication, structure, and nuance of the craft in Homer, Sappho, and Euripides. This article can give you a sense of the richness of the original poetry.

Rewriting the Story of Achilles - From today's Wsj.com

Nearly 3,000 years since he was immortalized in Homer's epic "The Iliad," the Greek hero Achilles is still getting literary makeovers. He has appeared in Dante's "Inferno," Shakespeare's "Troilus and Cressida" and the "Captain Marvel" comic-book series. A recent cluster of novels have featured the warrior, including Zachary Mason's "The Lost Books of the Odyssey," literary writer David Malouf's 2009 novel "Ransom" and paranormal-romance writer P.C. Cast's "Warrior Rising," a romantic caper based on the Trojan War (complete with steamy cover art of Achilles' bare chest).

via online.wsj.com

Talk at the Terrace - March 1st

I'll be giving a talk on estate planning with life insurance at the Terrace Club (25 West 51st St) on Thursday, March 1st at 6pm. There will be food and drink, talk about law, life, and lessons that can be learned from King Lear about how to plan your estate! Let me know by email or in class if you're interested in attending.

Selections for Sappho

Of the poems of Sappho, these are not to be missed, and we will discuss them, among others, in class. The reference numbers are first to the page number in the Barnstone translation (Shambhala edition) followed by the tradtional fragment number:

"Prayer to Afroditi" p 3/f 1

"The Virgin" p 18/f 105a, c

"Seizure" p 43/f 31

"Alone" p 44/f 168b

"Supreme Sight on the Black Earth" p 46/f 16

"Sweetbitter" p 58/f 130

"No Oblivion" p 109/f 95

Recommended reading related to the Iliad

Try these:

Robert Graves: The Greek Myths: Complete Edition

Bettany Hughes: Helen of Troy: The Story Behind the Most Beautiful Woman in the World

Christopher Logue: War Music: An Account of Books 1-4 and 16-19 of Homer's Iliad & All Day Permanent Red: The First Battle Scenes of Homer's Iliad Rewritten

Iliad selections for discussion (Part 2)

Following is Part 2 of a list of passages from the selected Book for focused discussion (Line numbers referring to the Fagles translation):

Book 16

• Patroclus, 32-78, 951-1000 ("But you are intractable, Achilles!"), ("Hector waiting, watching")

Book 18

• The Shield of Achilles, 558-709 ("And first Hephaestus makes a great and massive shield")

Book 21

• Xanthus, 350-58, 418-27 ("Oh dear brother, rise! Both of us together"), ("Oh Hera--why?)

Book 22

• Hector, 418-59 ("At the point of death, Hector, his helmet flashing")

Book 24

• Priam & Achilles, 570-788 ("Remember your own father, great godlike Achilles--")

Iliad selections for discussion (Part 1)

Of the Books which I've recommended you focus your reading on, here are specific selections I plan to address in class. Numbers refer to the line numbers in the Falges translation.

Book 1:

• Invocation, 1-8 ("Rage--Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus's son Achilles")
• Achilles & Athena, 222-50 ("He broke off and anguish gripped Achilles")
• Thetis & Zeus, 590-635 ("And Thetis did not forget her son's appeals")
• Hephaestus, 685-723 ("He subsided / but Hera the Queen, here eyes wider")

Book 2:

• Odysseus & Thersites, 245-90 ("The armies took their seats, marshalled into ranks")
• Reinvocation to catalogue of ships, 573-83 ("Sing to me now, you Muses who hold the halls")

Book 3:

• Old men of Troy, 175-95 ("And there they were, gathered around Priam")
• Helen & Priam, 195-219 ("They murmured low / but Priam, raising his voice")
• Athena, Helen & Paris, 455-530 ("Enticing so / that the heart in Helen's breast began to race")

Book 6:

• Glaucus & Diomedes, 253-82 ("When he heard that, Diomedes' spirits lifted")
• Hector & Andromache, 452-600 ("A busy, willing servant answered quickly")

Book 9

• Achilles' rejection, 454-505 ("Shameless / inveterate--armored in shamelessness")

More selections to follow ...

Iliad Selections

Soon we'll begin our discussion of Homer's Iliad. Key readings include:

• Books 1-3, 6, 9, 16, 18, 22-24.

If you're interested in what the original may have sounded like (since the Iliad was composed to be sung in performance), try this website: Homeric Singing.