/lit/ - Literature

My
Diary
Desu

>>17230846
Is Faust an Epic Poem?

>>17230846
de rerum natura

I personally consider it to be Paradise lost, but I’ve only read that, the Illiad, Odyssey, and Aeneid. Not saying it has been more influential than the other three listed, only that I liked it the best.

>>17230943
paradise lost is so god damn dank, but i think it might seem better just cuz it's not translated from an ancient language

>>17230947
Very possible. I cut off my pinkie finger to hear the Ancient Greek or the Bible in its original language with the full context of its time.

It was a huge red pill for me at 19 when I realized ancient people didn’t talk dumb, languages and context just don’t translate perfectly. Not sure why they don’t explain that better in school.

>>17230980
Sorry, I would* cut off my pinkie finger...

Aeneid probably

>>17231134
>propagandistic fanfiction

>>17231134
You chose...poorly

The Faerie Queene by Spenser

>>17230846
The Cantos of Ezra Pound

>>17230846
Jerusalem Delivered

>>17231134
Medieval people seemed to think so, I think Paradise Lost qualifies as the best in the English language, but there are definitely other good ones as well

>>17231134
the legend/tale was traditional and genuine

>>17231141
>>17231186
Good picks.

>>17230846
Heer by Waris Shah

>>17230846
I'm partial to the Divine Comedy. But Illiad is superb (so is Odyssey, though I prefer the Illiad personally). Aeneid for all its qualities strikes me a smaller in scope and energy, although much more polished and "literary". It is very Roman in that sense.

Aeneid by miles

>>17231546
basato

>>17230846
>epic
i hate redditian slangs

>>17230846
Pan Tadeusz

>>17230860
It's a play
>>17230846
Pale Fire by miles

>>17230846
I personally love Paradise Lost, but I also love epic poetry as a genre. I just got the Dionysiaca for Christmas and am very excited.

>>17230846
My ranking of the five greatest epic poems:
>The Odyssey
>The Iliad
>The Divine Comedy
>Paradise Lost
>The Aeneid

Oh where are you Hellenes and Celts?
Already you have vanished, like
Two cities drowning
In the waters of the deep.
Only the tips of towers stand out from the water,
Two tips of towers: Homer, Ossian.

>>17230846
The Columbiad.

The Popol Vuh (oral tradition only, none of that gay English verse translation where they “ran like hell”)

>brings together the classical, the christian and the modern
>adapts hexameter to a written format as well as modern every day language
>themes of monotheism versus polytheism, why we worship, the ubermensch, what a good life means

>>17231569
That’s how I feel about it. I like the first half more, it has more of it’s own voice. The second half feels more like the Iliad lite

>>17230846
The Changing Light at Sandover

>>17231921
>I don't know what epic means. It must plebbit slang
Retard. Epic is literally a genre

Theogony and Works and Days
No contest

Is there no love for Metamorphosis?

>>17230846
There are a ton of great epic poems like the Nibelungenlied or Beowulf, but it pretty obviously has to be between Dante or Homer. Personal choices are accepted though, otherwise this would be a boring thread.

But more importantly what arises, is in being the natural counterweight to the epic poem, what is the greatest drama?

>>17230860
>>17232823
It's far closer to an epic poem than a genuine dramatic work, but by its nature it works within the technicalities of the play with the result of an epic poem. It is more natural for it to be read, than acted. And even an acting is only a performance of the reading.

>>17230846

>>17231186
>pic rel
Lmaoooo

>>17234314
Based, he's one of my favourites and is underrated.

I'm very new to literature in general, but I've always found ancient Greek mythology fascinating. Are the likes of Iliad and Odyssey difficult for someone who's never really read any poems or are they beginner friendly?

>>17234457
you can enjoy them at any point in your life and with any amount of familiarity. read them now and then reread them when youfe more knowledgeable about ancient greek culture.

>>17234477
Thank you for the reply. I will give Iliad a try and see if it is something I would enjoy. What about Dante? Is it also something you could read whenever?

>>17234263
double-bait? i honestly can't tell anymore

Maybe not the best, but "Horatius" by Thomas Macaulay if you want some early Roman Republic stuff.

>>17231186
what the fuck am I looking at

>>17231186
Pretty funny pic.

>>17234306
>But more importantly what arises, is in being the natural counterweight to the epic poem, what is the greatest drama?
Aeschylus comes to mind, as a natural counterpart of Homer. Sadly we've lost most of his output, but is only suriving trilogy, the Oresteia, would do just fine.
I really wish the Promethean and Theban trilogies had been preserved in their entirety.

>>17234547
Dante is generally a harder read, but that depends on which work you're reading. I find his treatises (De Monarchia and De Vulgarii Eloquentia especially) to be pretty accessible, his Eclogues are also very fluid and very enjoyable as far as I remember.

This of course depends on translation and edition, the most important thing is to get an annotated edition, will really make the experience more immersive as Dante references a variety of things and persons from his time.

>>17235118
Sophocles definitely got done the worst, but at least we do indeed have a satisfactory start and end of sorts, of Oedipus' life, and Sophocles' brilliance. They shall never be lost now!