Homer's The Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson discussion

This is a thread to discuss works of art related to The Odyssey.

Odysseus is Gone by Caroline Clark

And slendering to his burning rim

Into the flat blue mist the sun
Drops out and all our day is done.


I see it happening late—
your face becomes elsewhere
slendering like
that sun

you’re sinking, sunken, gone
ocean-heavy to your bed and
we (the shadowing
land?)

are soon bereft of you.
On days like these we
don’t get to wave
goodbye—

your sudden night has come
and we must let you lie till
tides turn home
again.

I'll say my simple things
send metaphors to the wind
while distant harbour
lights

twinkle in the bay.
Can you be the one to stay?
When sand is washed
away

water will rush to fill its place.
Am I needed more than you?
O, give me purest
sight—

The past is unassailable...
Your chimera so ancient...
The horizon pities
no one...

Stay on these
local seas, shimmer white sail
tonight.

http://poems.com/poem.php?date=17506

Beautiful poem -- thanks so much for posting it, Lucia!

See also Tennyson's famous poem, "Ulysses"
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem...

And W.H. Auden's "The Shield of Achilles"
https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/s...

Tamara wrote: "See also Tennyson's famous poem, "Ulysses"
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem...

And W.H. Auden's "The Shield of Achilles"
https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/s..."

Tamara, thanks so much for posting these. It's been too long since I've read them!

Tamara wrote: "See also Tennyson's famous poem, "Ulysses"
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem...

And W.H. Auden's "The Shield of Achilles"
https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/s..."

Thanks, Tamara. I will look for those.

It turns out I'm making an unexpected trip to Philadelphia in a couple of weeks, and I always make time for art museums, and so I discovered Cy Twombly's "50 Days in Ilium" exhibit, slide show here:

http://www.philamuseum.org/galleries/

Has anyone seen it?

Lark, I'm so sorry I missed this posting -- not sure what happened. I haven't seen this exhibit, but I should, since I live just blocks from the PMA. Let me know when you'll be in Philadelphia, if you haven't already been here!

I thought I would post a few pictures from my collection:

There are three pictures on my Instagram account of Odysseus, Calypso and Circe all by Sir William Russell Flint from the translation first published in 1924 by Butcher & Lang

https://instagram.com/p/BdOdUwjH9EZ/

I was hoping you'd share some of your collection with us, Marcus. Thank you!

I've been reading An Odyssey: A Father, a Son, and an Epic by Daniel Mendelsohn. Mendelsohn discusses a poem entitled "Ithaka" by the Greek poet, Cavafy. I'd not heard of it before. It blew my mind. I thought it was amazing. I hope you enjoy it.


Ithaka

BY C. P. CAVAFY
TRANSLATED BY EDMUND KEELEY

As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon—don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
wild Poseidon—you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.

Hope your road is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you enter harbors you’re seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind—
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and go on learning from their scholars.

Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But don’t hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.

Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn't have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.

And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you’ll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.

Tamara wrote: "I've been reading An Odyssey: A Father, a Son, and an Epic by Daniel Mendelsohn. Mendelsohn discusses a poem entitled "Ithaka" by the Greek poet, Cavafy. I'd not heard..."

Lovely! Thanks for calling to our attention, Tamara.

As you probably know, Cavafy was a major influence on Lawrence Durrell.

Marcus wrote: "I thought I would post a few pictures from my collection:

There are three pictures on my Instagram account of Odysseus, Calypso and Circe all by Sir William Russell Flint from the translation firs..."

Nice! Thanks, Marcus. If I may ask, how did you happen upon this edition?

Tamara wrote: "I've been reading An Odyssey: A Father, a Son, and an Epic by Daniel Mendelsohn. Mendelsohn discusses a poem entitled "Ithaka" by the Greek poet, Cavafy. I'd not heard..."

I'm pretty sure at least the first three lines of this poem were read at Jacqueline Kennedy's graveside service. It was Jacqueline's favorite poem particularly for this occasion. I really like it. Thanks Tamara for posting it.

Cheryl wrote: "I'm pretty sure at least the first three lines of this poem were read at Jacqueline Kennedy's graveside service..."

Yes, I read that somewhere, as well.

Cheryl wrote: "...I'm pretty sure at least the first three lines of this poem were read at Jacqueline Kennedy's graveside service. ..."

Hmm, I'm now trying to recall some link between the Odyssey and Onassis that I recently read... Going to have let fate bring it back into appearance if it will.

Tamara wrote: "See also Tennyson's famous poem, "Ulysses"
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem...

And W.H. Auden's "The Shield of Achilles"
https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/s..."

A very nice reminder, Tamara.

Tennyson's "... for always roaming with a hungry heart" ... is the essence of the Odyssey, for me.

Julie wrote: "Tamara wrote: "See also Tennyson's famous poem, "Ulysses"
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem...

And W.H. Auden's "The Shield of Achilles"
https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/s...-..."

And Helen Mirren reading Tennyson: https://www.facebook.com/colbertlates...

Elena wrote: "And Helen Mirren reading Tennyson: https://www.facebook.com/colbertlates...."

A lovely experience to wake up to this morning. Thank you!

Awesome audio. Thanks.

One book I read is quite different than those works mentioned above. It's The Penelope Project: An Arts-Based Odyssey to Change Elder Care. Using a multi-disciplined approach from her university, and students from within those disciplines, the author developed and set a play/musical/art show, etc within the walls of a mult-level elderly living facility. This facility had everything from independent living to secure hospice level units, but all residents were given the opportunity to participate.

The work was based on the story of Penelope, waiting for Odysseus. All of these residents certainly could on some level relate to waiting: for someone lost, something forgotten, skills no longer useful. The residents were involved in all phases of the program except the initial development of the idea.

Sue wrote: "One book I read is quite different than those works mentioned above. It's The Penelope Project: An Arts-Based Odyssey to Change Elder Care. Using a multi-disciplined approach from h..."

That sounds like a wonderful project. It must have meant a lot to the residents of the facility.

It reminded me of a book I read years ago, The Hero and the Goddess: The Odyssey as Pathway to Personal Transformation by Jean Houston. Houston guides the reader on a journey of personal transformation through performance of exercises she formulated based on each episode of the Odyssey. I read the book years ago. I don't remember much about it other than I enjoyed the way she interpreted some of the episodes.

Tamara wrote: "Sue wrote: "One book I read is quite different than those works mentioned above. It's The Penelope Project: An Arts-Based Odyssey to Change Elder Care. Using a multi-disciplined app..."

It's interesting how The Odyssey continues to be used over the years (in modern times) in creative ways all linked to Homer's tale of the wandering warrior lost on his way home, and the problems at home. It certainly has not lost its relevance.

Sue wrote: "One book I read is quite different than those works mentioned above. It's The Penelope Project: An Arts-Based Odyssey to Change Elder Care. Using a multi-disciplined approach from h..."

Thanks so much, Sue, for posting about this book. What a wonderful, fascinating project! I'm planning to read the book soon.

Kris this may be especially relevant to you given your university setting. That part of the background will resonate for sure. And we all have aging relatives and friends, of course. I'm glad to know you plan to read it and will be interested in your thoughts about it.