Samuel Johnson said Alexander Pope's translation of the Iliad, "tuned the English tongue.

Harold Bloom
Samuel Johnson said Alexander Pope's translation of the Iliad,
Samuel Johnson said Alexander Pope's translation of the Iliad,
Samuel Johnson said Alexander Pope's translation of the Iliad,
Samuel Johnson said Alexander Pope's translation of the Iliad,
About This Quote

The translation of the Iliad into English by Alexander Pope paved the way for English literature. It was a milestone in the history of literature and made a tremendous impact on the world. The original text was written in Greek and it was a difficult language to translate. The Greek word “epic” means “long poem” and this is what Pope focused on when he translated the epic.

Nearly all of the words in King Priam's speech were changed from their Greek meaning to their English meaning, which was how he created the illusion that Priam was speaking English while he was actually speaking Greek. The language used in the original text is called epic meter and it has 37 syllables per line: "No man, O Agamemnon, could do more than that," said he, "unless Zeus himself should give us respite." And then he prayed to be taken home again. He prayed to be taken home again The translation of the Iliad by Alexander Pope opened up a new world for English literature because it gave many writers the opportunity to put their own spin on stories that had been passed down from generation to generation. The book also became an example for others because it showed them how to translate a long poem into another language and it inspired other writers like William Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe.

And, although translations aren't always perfect, Alexander Pope did an exceptional job translating Homer's epic into English.

Source: The Western Canon: The Books And School Of The Ages

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