Chill Literature & Poetry Thread

[Anonymous No.14942994]

Hi anons,

In the midst of this pandemic, what are you reading and what are your thoughts on it? Do you have a laid-out reading plan for after you finish your current project?

Let's have a friendly, respectful, and - most of all - productive prose, poetry, and rhetoric thread.

I'm currently reading The Iliad (Fagles translation); it's the beginning of my "foundation of all fine fiction" project. I will follow with The Odyssey, of course, and then move on to Hesiod's "Theogeny" and "Works and Days." In terms of broad strokes, I will also study the Bible and ultimately finish with Shakespeare, at which point I will have covered amassed the knowledge I would like to seriously begin producing my own work(s).

As far as The Iliad goes - it's brilliant so far (about 165 pages in). I love the dramatic irony set up in the very beginning regarding Achilles' hamartia (rage). I am also enjoying the strong amount of repetition as it drives home just how the Homeric tradition of oral narration kept itself perpetuated. The constant similes are also a pleasure as they often contain brilliant imagery that gives the reader a glimpse into the culture of the time, what with all the calls to nature's beauty and wrath.

My one point of concern so far - and it's a personal issue, not a literary critique - is how difficult it is to keep track of all the names that Homer lays out while setting up his scenes, particularly when it comes to the preparations of war. There is simply no way to retain the names of all the heroes and lands from whence they came and the historic events they participated in on an initial read - but I'm sure Homer's contemporary audiences didn't have that issue. To them, I imagine it was the equivalent of our cult of personality and geographical knowledge of (at least) our own countries now.

Overall, I am loving the work and look forward to seeing how the pettiness of the Gods drives the black fates of men.

What are you up to? Again, I want to stress that this thread is not limited to fiction; poetry, philosophy, and all other forms of the written word and abstract are warmly welcomed to the discussion. I simply ask that we have an insightful discourse to better ourselves.

[Deep&Edgy !pSkjEcB9sQ No.14943164]

Is this how you assholes repay someone who puts their back into a thread?

[Anonymous No.14943194]

>>14943164
It's okay, anon. People will respond if they have something to offer and are willing to share. At the end of the day, self-betterment goes on without participation in 4chan threads.

[Anonymous No.14943457]

>>14942994
Hiii anon!
The past days I finished reading the Idiot, and now, meanwhile I have time, I can finally begin my journey!
I'm also reading The Iliad, I started it today so I'm not so ahead as you are.
At the beginning I was fucking scared of it, but now that I'm in, I find it fantastic!
>the strong amount of repetition [...]
Yeah!
> keep track of all the names
I think there are few options: remember the names and look up on the net every time you forget or write them down.

I also will follow with The Odyssey, but then I think I'll move on with Ulysses, Gravity's Rainbow, Infinite Jest and the Pale King

The alternative, deus-vult-road is: Divine Comedy, [some to-define Shakespeare books], Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, Orlando Furioso, Orlando Innamorato, La Gerusalemme Liberata and Don Quixote
(*bonus: summa theologica*)

any suggestions are accepted!

!!!! If you want Anon, we could start a reading group here, with a thread every few days, for discussing about our journey with Homer

[Anonymous No.14943523]

>>14943457
A 3rd road would be like: Ramayana, Mahabharata, Kalevala, etc.

[Anonymous No.14943656]

>>14943457
>>14943523
Hello, anon. Did you enjoy The Idiot? I am not yet intimately familiar with Dostoevsky's work, though I hope to be within a few years.

Which translation are you using for The Iliad?

>I think there are few options: remember the names and look up on the net every time you forget or write them down.
For important but lesser-known names such as Nestor and Diomedes and Idomeneus, I've made an effort to remember them. It's the passerby names of certain warriors and heroes that trouble me! I think you'll see what I mean when you get to the point where Homer beseeches the Muses to help him remember all the heroes who participated in the Trojan War.

>I also will follow with The Odyssey, but then I think I'll move on with Ulysses, Gravity's Rainbow, Infinite Jest and the Pale King
Nice list. I haven't read any of those, but, like you, certainly plan to.

>The alternative, deus-vult-road is: Divine Comedy, [some to-define Shakespeare books], Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, Orlando Furioso, Orlando Innamorato, La Gerusalemme Liberata and Don Quixote
>(*bonus: summa theologica*)
Most of these were also on the list; the ones that weren't are now!

>A 3rd road would be like: Ramayana, Mahabharata, Kalevala, etc.
Great choices! I also want to tackle these.

>any suggestions are accepted!
Well, for me, Aeschylus and Virgil and Boccaccio and the Desert Fathers and Dante and Chaucer are crucial. Your interests may vary.

>!!!! If you want Anon, we could start a reading group here, with a thread every few days, for discussing about our journey with Homer
Sure, that would be a pleasure! Alternatively, we could start a /lit/ discord so it's easier to stay in touch.

[Anonymous No.14943864]

>>14943656
>Did you enjoy The Idiot?
Yes! I love how Dostoevsky's character. he makes them seem almost real, their psychology is something unbelievable, it always amazes me. However, in my opinion, his masterpiece for the moment remains the Brother Karamazov.

>Which translation are you using for The Iliad?
>I think you'll see what I mean when you get to the point where Homer beseeches the Muses to help him remember all the heroes who participated in the Trojan War.
I will see then! Also I think I'm a bit advantaged on this, because I'm from Italy.
We studied Homer in middle school (among with other Italian classical text), and more in depth in high school, even though we didn't read it entirely.
There are various edition of Homer works in Italian, some of them are too "personalized" like, made to show the translator's eloquence and they are not so true with the text. I choose one that is very appreciated, not that difficult, but true to the text. (Rosa Calzecchi Onesti translation).

>Most of these were also on the list; the ones that weren't are now!
Nice!

>Great choices! I also want to tackle these.
Thanks! However, some of these texts are like... huge! The mahabharata has only been translated to english, I think I'll reduce my ambitions and go for some chapters of it, also life is short, I probably won't be able to read everything I want to, so I need to make some choices :)

>Well, for me, Aeschylus and Virgil and Boccaccio and the Desert Fathers and Dante and Chaucer are crucial. Your interests may vary.
Thank you for the suggestions!

>We could start a /lit/ discord so it's easier to stay in touch.
That would be great! Maybe should try to involve some other anons.
Is there already a /lit/ channel?

[Anonymous No.14944140]

>>14943864
>The mahabharata has only been translated to english, I think I'll reduce my ambitions and go for some chapters of it, also life is short, I probably won't be able to read everything I want to, so I need to make some choices :)
I think you'll surprise yourself with how much you can accomplish once you dive into them. :) Like with Homer, your initial fear over the size and accessibility of the text will likely disappear as soon as you lose yourself in its wonders.
>Thank you for the suggestions!
My pleasure, and likewise.
>That would be great! Maybe should try to involve some other anons.
>Is there already a /lit/ channel?
I'll make a channel now and post it here. It would be great if more people are interested in joining. I'll be happy either way to have a reading buddy to discuss Homer and future projects with!

[Anonymous No.14944158]

set up the server: https://discord.gg/vD2TJH

open to any and all suggestions on how to furnish it from folks who'd like to join.

[Anonymous No.14944255]

>>14944140
>you'll surprise yourself with how much you can accomplish once you dive into them.
Yes! Little by little, maybe I'll achieve that.

>>14944158
Nice! I joined.