A new translation of Homer's epic follows Merrill's successful earlier version of the Odyssey in capturing the feel of the original Greek. Rodney Merrill's translation of Homer's Iliad offers a form of English poetry particularly relevant to the epic, producing a strong musical setting that brings many elements of the narrative truly to life. Most notable are the many battle scenes, in which Homer's strong dactylic hexameters make credible the 'war-lust' in the deeds of the combatants.
Until his retirement, Rodney Merrill taught English composition and comparative literature at Stanford and Berkeley. In addition to his translation of Homer's Odyssey, he is the author of Chaucer's Broche of Thebes.
Title: The Iliad
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ISBN: 9780472033980
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Publisher: The University of Michigan Press
Publication Date: 2010-01-30
Number of Pages:
Weight: 0.6806 kg
Other competent translations of Homer exist, but none accomplish what Merrill aims for: to convey to the reader-listener in translation the meaning and the sounds of Homer, coming as close as possible to the poetry of the original. Merrill accomplishes this virtuosic achievement by translating Homer's Greek into English hexameters, a process requiring not only a full understanding of the original Greek, but also an unusual mostery of the sounds, rhythms, and nuances of English. - Stephen G. Daitz, Professor Emeritus of Classics, City University of New York