After giving us perhaps the finest modern versions of Homer
(rivaled only by Lattimore), Fitzgerald has now translated a
spirited, eloquent, fresh Aeneid - though some will still prefer
Allan Mandelbaum's. Fitzgerald has had his eye on Virgil for many
years - he edited Dryden's Aeneid, with notes and an expert
Introduction, in 1964 - but his own poetic voice is decidedly
un-Virgilian: brisk, bold, hearty, a sociable baritone. His
irregular pentameters, with continual enjambment, come in great
fluid rushes (less "faithful" but more readable than Mandelbaum's
slower-paced lines), often making a spring tide of a quiet
Virgilian stream. Virgil's discreet rhetorical emphasis sometimes
becomes startlingly colloquial: e.g., "Fortune has made a derelict/
Of Sinon, but the bitch/Won't make an empty liar of him, too." And
even when Fitzgerald tries to echo the original, he can't help
sounding more direct and homespun. Lively rather than exquisite,
vigorous and risky, with only a few outright anachronistic
clinkers: the most accessible Aeneid (since Dryden, anyway) for a
Latin-less modern audience, especially helpful in sustaining
readers through the often-wearisome battle scenes in the later
books. (Kirkus Reviews)
The Aeneid is Virgil's Masterpiece. His epic poem recounts the
story of Rome's legendary origins from the ashes of Troy and
proclaims her destiny of world dominion. This optimistic vision is
accompanied by an undertow of sadness at the price that must be
paid in human suffering to secure Rome's future greatness. The
tension between the public voice of celebration and the tragic
private voice is given full expression both in the doomed love of
Dido and Aeneas, and in the fateful clash between the Trojan leader
and the Italian hero, Turnus. Hailed by T.S. Eliot as 'the classic
of all Europe', Virgil's Aeneid has enjoyed a unique and enduring
influence on European literature, art and politics for the past two
thousand years.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
