Odyssey, Paperback by Homer; Merrill, Rodney; Walsh, Thomas R., Used Good Con...

by Rodney Merrill

$43 · Offered by eBay

Odyssey, Paperback by Homer; Merrill, Rodney; Walsh, Thomas R., ISBN 0472088548, ISBN-13 9780472088546, Used Good Condition, Free shipping in the US The Odyssey is considered to be one of the greatest pieces of world literature. Its basic story--the homecoming of Odysseus--is widely known. Although it has often been translated, earlier versions do not give the reader the full sense of its oral epic nature as a song that came into being through a long tradition of sung performances before writing was widely practiced. When finally written down, it retained its oral-formulaic nature in ways that are clearly discernible, and which this translation successfully captures. Rodney Merrill strictly adheres to the use of dactylic hexameter, the meter by which the formulaic language of Homeric poetry is rendered as musical phrasing rather than as a simple repetition of ideas. Reading this version--especially aloud--will grant both students and teachers fresh insight into the nature of Greek epic and Homer's song about one of the most famous characters of all time. This epic began life as the music composed by a "singer of tales," not as words on a page. As such, its meter allows for pleasing variations with a strong basic "beat," thus providing a rhythmic impetus that carries the story swiftly forward. The resulting "music" has important repercussions for the reader's perception of the many repeated elements that provide structure for the poem and bring out significant themes, just as

• Publisher: University of Michigan Press
• Year: 2002
• Binding: Paperback
• ISBN: 9780472088546
• Condition: Good

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