Homer: Poet of the Iliad - Hardcover

Edwards, Professor Mark W.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0801833299 ISBN 13: 9780801833298

Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987

Synopsis

Homer: Poet of the "Iliad" is the perfect companion both for readers deepening their appreciation of the poem and its form and for those encountering Homer's work for the first time. Mark Edwards combines the advantages of a general introduction and a detailed commentary to make the insights of recent Homeric scholarship accessible to students and general readers as well as to classicists.

Since interpretation of the epic requires an understanding of the ancient oral tradition and its conventions, Edwards offers a comprehensive analysis of the poetics of the Iliad and the Odyssey. He also discusses essential elements of Homeric society -- its religion, history, and social values -- to clarify the style and substance of the poetry. In the second half of the book, Edwards's scene-by-scene explication of ten major books of the Iliad leads the reader to a greater perception of Homer's mastery and manipulation of convention.

About this title

From Library Journal:

Like many recent books on the Iliad , this one attempts to introduce Homer to the uninitiated while also engaging the Greek scholar. Edwards's approach is stimulating: a detailed discussion of Homeric poetics in the first half prepares the reader for a lengthy commentary of ten out of 24 books. Such structure shows how meaning may be embedded in form, but too often the author's tabulations remain inert. Similarly, his commentary, though lively, at times fails to push criticism beyond identification of story patterns, type-scenes, and variations thereon. This book guides us through many of the poems structures but not to its greatness. Stephen Scully, Classical Studies Dept., Boston Univ.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review:

"Edwards makes reading Homer exciting and meaningful. He's alert to every aspect of his subject, including the problem of translations. His book is an indispensable companion for anyone keen on drawing from this great source of wisdom and delight." -- Christian Science Monitor

About this edition

• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press
• Publication date: 1987
• ISBN 10: 0801833299
• ISBN 13: 9780801833298
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352