Published Nov 25, 2024

Mindscape 297 | Emily Wilson on Homer, Poetry, and Translation

Emily Wilson delves into the art and challenges of translating Homer's epic poems, highlighting their narrative style, emotional depth, and cultural significance while ensuring their accessibility to modern audiences.

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Questions from this episode

- What are some philosophical views on the soul?
  Asked by 2 people
- What are the mentions of Achilles in The Running Explained Podcast?
  Asked by 1 person
- Explain the characteristics of an epic poem
  Asked by 1 person
- What are the Ancient Greek roots?
  Asked by 1 person
- What is most closely the central idea of the passage below (paragraph 5)? The ancient and classical worlds were global places. In the mid 300s BCE, Alexander the Great expanded Greek influence as far east as India and Persia. At its height, the Roman Empire included Britain, most of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Each empire included people who spoke different languages and practiced different customs and religions. As a result, many texts from different regions of the world during this period have surprisingly similar themes and structures. The parables of Jesus, like fables of the Greek writer Aesop, were simple tales with clear morals or lessons for listeners. The epics of Greece, Rome, and India all featured gods and goddesses intermingling with the human heroes, important battles, and a focus on the pursuit of ideals. Even though Greco-Roman and Indian epics like the Odyssey and the Rámáyana were written in completely different places, they both take place in a mythological past and involve gods populating the human earth. They describe the journeys of heroes who face battle, turmoil, and the prospect of victory. These themes can be seen in Battle at Lanka, which portrays an important battle featured in the Rámáyana. Answer choices for the above question: A. The passage explains why ancient India is more similar to ancient Greece than people realize. B. The passage suggests that ancient Indian writers plagiarized Homer’s Odyssey. C. The passage describes how ancient Greece came to colonize India and Persia. D. The passage explains the global, interconnected reality of the ancient and classical worlds.
  Asked by 1 person
- How is language connected to poetry?
  Asked by 1 person

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Mindscape 297 | Emily Wilson on Homer, Poetry, and Translation

Topics covered

Popular Clips

Questions from this episode

Episode Highlights

Literary Techniques

Translation Dynamics

Cultural ContextsEmily Wilson, a renowned translator, discusses the cultural and historical significance of Homer's "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey." She explores the complexities of translating these ancient texts and their enduring impact on Western literature.

Cultural Contexts

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