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/lit/ - Literature

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15922780 No.15922780 [Reply] [Original]

Is Pope's translation of 'The Iliad' the best?
If not which should I read?

>> No.15922805

>>15922780
Fagles and Fitzgerald are the two general modern translations.
Pope is historically significant, and interpreted by a truly great and brilliant man.
As a general rule, I'd recommend the modern translations unless you want to actually go the mile and get Pope-pilled with his other work.

>> No.15922824

>>15922780
I read Popes after comparing it with Fagles and Fitzgerald. Pope’s control of sound puts it over the edge from good translation to work of genius In its own right.

>> No.15922893

>>15922780
As a translation, no since fidelity to the original was lacking. He would often soften the edges that would offend either his own or his contemporary readers' sensibility. As a poem in the English language, however, it ranks as one of the highest.
Follow these anons' reccs >>15922805
& >>15922824 if you want to closest thing to the original.

>> No.15922908

>>15922780
I miss Popeposter

>> No.15922930

>>15922893
Would it be a hard read compared to Fagles and Fitzgerald?

>> No.15922994

>>15922805
>>15922824
Am i supposed to read it rhythmically or can i just read like normal?

>> No.15923364

it's pretty based - don't bother with his odyssey though
chapman's homer, dryden's virgil, and the "garth" metamorphoses are great too

of modern translations:
>fitzgerald: for patricians
>lattimore: for purists
>fagles: for plebs

>>15922994
it would be absolute torture to read the whole thing rhythmically, no one has ever done this

>> No.15923375

>>15923364
*ulyssey

>> No.15923412

>>15922930
I suppose so since Pope's English is a bit antiquated to the modern speaker, unless you are well acquainted with neo Augustan English.

>> No.15923520

>>15923412
Would i get used to it?

>> No.15923622

>>15923520
i did, you just have to look up words you don't know and take your time parsing some verses - it's certainly a lot easier than chapman's translation, which is also beautiful

>> No.15923664

>>15923622
I found this audio version (starts at 2:16) which makes it flow better
https://youtu.be/28RNGOCIzYI

>> No.15923719

>>15923664
Can i just say it's fucking insane how chad pope made the whole thing rhyme
He made the whole fucking thing rhyme

>> No.15923910

>>15922893
Is it accurate enough that the details of the story are the same? Like if you asked someone who read Pope to recount the tale, they'd give the same as those who read the others?

>> No.15923963

>>15923719
It was chad, and pope’s translation is maybe the finest translation ever, but blank verse is the better form for epic poems in English

>> No.15924040

>>15923963
I'm starting to go insane listening to couplet after couplet, it's like I'm trying to hear rhymes everywhere and think in rhymes

>> No.15924063

>>15924040
Gore war gore war gore war gore war gore war gore war

>> No.15924908

>>15923719
uh that's how most poetry was back then...

>> No.15924954

idk about pope i only read the segalá and estalella translation senpai