Author Description
Great Britain has a long and grand tradition of poets translating classical authors. Virtually every great poet from Chaucer on has tried his or her hand at translation, with the results often rivalling or even excelling the ancient original. This unique anthology presents the best of these translations, ranging from King Alfred, Alexander Pope, and Ben Jonson, to Alfred Lord Tennyson, Ezra Pound, and Ted Hughes. The book offers a vast array of responses to the song, verse, and drama of ancient Greece and Rome, and to poets themselves as varied as Homer, Sappho, Euripides, Virgil, Ovid, and Juvenal. Organized by classical author and text, the book gathers and juxtaposes English versions, sometimes of the same passage or poem, to dramatize the endless renewal of one great poetic tradition in and through another.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This anthology investigates the historical and stylistic evolution of the British tradition of translating classical Greek and Roman verse into English. Editors Jeremy Maule and Adrian Poole examine how successive generations of poets have engaged with ancient texts, arguing that these translations function as independent literary works that often rival the original compositions in artistic merit and cultural significance.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A comprehensive collection of English translations spanning from the Anglo-Saxon period to the twentieth century.
- Comparative arrangements of multiple translations for single classical passages to highlight shifting linguistic and cultural interpretations.
- Works by canonical figures including Chaucer, Pope, Jonson, Tennyson, Pound, and Hughes.
Scope Limits
- The collection focuses exclusively on the British tradition of translation and does not include American or other international perspectives.
- The volume does not provide a complete historical survey of all classical literature, but rather selects texts based on the quality and historical impact of their English translations.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and critics frequently cite this volume as a definitive reference for understanding the intersection of classical reception and English poetic development. The text is noted for its rigorous organization and the scholarly depth of its editorial commentary, making it a standard resource for students of comparative literature and translation theory.
Page Count:
656
Publication Date:
1995-11-23
ISBN-10:
0192142097
ISBN-13:
9780192142092
Poetry
Anthology
Translation Studies
Literary Criticism
Classical