/lit/ - Literature

Today i read Aristophanes Lysistrata and though it had some very memorable parts and though the plot seems way ahead of its time, i couldnt help but feel like Aristophanes language was a bit crude (simpler than what id expected).

I read an english translation. In the top it said "Reproduced with kind permission from Penguin Books Limited"

In short what i want to know is this: Have you read Aristophanes work? Is his language just plain simple? Did i pick the wrong translation? and have i missed out on the real thing?

"A theme! A theme!
(cries the young poet)

Am too young to write of death, too green to write of love,
I know not of war, nor disease, nor miracles.

I have my youth and my ignorance, that's it.

With those i will learn with those i will grow."

Besides the blatant Walt Whitman ripoff (both in terms of style and word choice), tell me what you think

How does /lit/ tackle being suffice with solitude, being completely independent, or coping with emotions that you can't control? If there are any books or just straight advice, it would be lovely.

I'm sick of feeling like I need others, when generally people are mostly in it for themselves and will throw you under the bus if need be. I'm also sick of releasing emotions when I should be learning how to control them. Is it possible to adapt or tame oneself, has anyone been able to change in such ways?

What's the best collection of WH Auden's poems? Or where is best to start?

/lit/, I've always been more of a film person than a book person. That isn't to say that I haven't read many books, I certainly have. However, I want to read more as it's a lot easier to squeeze it in opposed to an entire film. What basic literature should I read before I move on to epics or complicated literature in general? For instance, I tried reading Crime and Punishment recently but couldn't get into it. It was my first book in about a year or so, so I figured I'd have to get in the habit before I went on to anything comparative to that.