#iambic hexameter

[batgovernor]

Short poem: RHL, 'Friendship, Not Passion'

I had a friendship, more than passionate love, for you; we could have been so good, easy, together. But there’s that issue of your strong religious thoughts, whereas I let my thoughts change with the weather. I… well, and who’s the I you think that you address? I ramble, googly-eyed, my arms elastic. There are so many sweet but sadly firm believers. I’m – more than atheist –…

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#atheism #friendship #iambic hexameter #Lighten Up Online #love #Punch magazine #relationships #religion #Robin Helweg-Larsen

[beepboopbirb]

CW: suicidal ideation

Tick Tock

Tick tock, the clock keeps striking: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Pretend it's like you'd wished: that you were not alive

#writing #poetry #iambic hexameter #actuallymentallyill

[sparks-chaotic-cove]

I can speak in rhyme

if there ever be a time

where tabletop curses

become real-life verses

simply a bit of thought is needed

for the curse's warning to be heeded

ever shall I rhyme

until the very time

In which I can unravel these words

into unrhyming turns

without clips of rhythm

or words like prisms

to return to the normality of everyday life

not bound by a curse that simply caused strife

#Sparkwrites #look at me go #I like poetry #thinking about actually trying to write non free-form poetry! #like practice with patterns- certain numbers of syllables #iambic pentameter and dactylic hexameter and all that fun stuff #maybe just patterns of my own! #Poetry #poetry?

[mortejchjo]

Boat on a Waveless lot of Lake

Boat on a waveless lot of lake, me and my game killed treking waters still uncharted on my own.

Still when the white pond in the black sky was descending, I was watchful for a quack or a crow.

Finally, duck calls now at last! But for some reason, in a circle of tight tall trees they had flown.

-

Trees in a circle tightly packed-in were where ducks had arbored havens as they hid deep in those homes.

This is when I then had to follow; finding one single mesquite tree in the center, all alone.

These kinds of trees thrive in an arid situation, and is never among water unless thrown.

-

Those very same ducks in a long line then had flown into the tree's cleft as if it'd been a blackhole.

After the ducks, some long horned deer, antlers like branches, went and walked onto the water liked skipped stones.

Neither their eyes, nor did my own meet. His objective's to be in that hollowed tree, strolling slow.

-

Just when the deer entered the tree, horned branches turned arboreal, now taking shapes of wooden bones.

Just as the deer had disappeared into the tree, I lost my balance as my boat was being thrown.

Now as the deer lay resting calm, me and my boat flipped and were capsized and were dragged down by grooved woes.

#poems #poems and poetry #my poetry #poetry #spoktoberpoetry #spoktober #artists on tumblr #horror #literature #rhyme #trochaic #iambic #1 trochaic + 1 iambic #hexameter #tercet #dysphemism

[lionofchaeronea]

Finally reading Emily Wilson's translation of the Iliad (I'm a little ashamed that I let it sit unread on my bookshelf for so long). So far, it's very fine indeed. Wilson uses a supple iambic pentameter that's probably as close as you can come in English to the effect of Homer's fluid hexameters, and she nicely threads the needle where diction is concerned, maintaining a tone that's neither artificially elevated nor slangy. I also highly recommend her introduction, which touches upon the key themes of the poem with great efficiency and perspicacity, and her translator's note, which is a valuable window into her thought processes. I think it's safe to say that her translation will have staying power--certainly, if I were teaching classical civ at the moment, it's the one I would choose for students new to Homer.

#personal #current reading #tagamemnon #Iliad #The Iliad #Emily Wilson

[johaerys-writes]

Would you be interested in sharing some of your fav books/scholars/academics/papers on The Iliad?

Hello! And thank you for this ask!! Basically, my research on Homer focuses a lot on Achilles and his relationship with Patroclus; I sometimes read works that are about the Iliad in general, but most of it is with Patroclus and Achilles in mind. But I do often come across interesting works on the Iliad as a whole, so I'll list some of them here. I have a lot of stuff to share, I'll keep it as brief as I can because I don't want to overwhelm anyone lol.

Books

As far as books go, I have several different translations of the Iliad, and most of the time each translation has its own introduction, sometimes by another classicist. Those are a great place to start. My favourites are Caroline Alexander's Iliad translation, and the introduction she wrote herself. I like Caroline Alexander's work in general, including her book on the Iliad The War That Killed Achilles (which my pal Baejax sent me bc I couldn't find it anywhere here <3 <3), because her writing is clear, straightforward and informative. Her translation is my go to translation at the moment because I like how faithful it is to the original Greek, it's the one I keep next to my bedside and which is full of bookmarks and notes LOL.

Another favourite is Robert Fagles' translation, with an introduction by Bernard Knox (who also wrote an excellent introduction to Robert Fagles' translation of the Aeneid). Even though Robert Fagles' translation isn't as close to the original as others, I love it because it is just so beautiful. It is definitely the one with the most staying power if you ask me, some passages are just chef's kiss. Bernard Knox's intro is also super informative (although he doesn't really go into Patroclus' and Achilles' relationship), and when he supplements his analysis with Fagles' gorgeous text it's just a wonderful experience.

Another translation that I recommend to anyone who can read modern Greek is the one by N. Kazantzakis & G. Kakridis, I think it's THE iconic Greek translation if you ask me. It has a lot of idiomatic language and expressions and it might not be as easy to get into as other Greek translations are, but it's truly beautiful and lyrical and it is entirely written in 17-syllable lines in iambic metre, adapting Homer's dactylic hexameter to modern Greek. Verse translations aren't really a thing for most English translations, which is a shame if you ask me. I think it's pretty much the only translation I've read so far that really invites you to read it out loud, as the original work was intended.

I do have Emily Wilson's translation as well but I haven't read it yet (I KNOW, SHAME ON ME), I really want to give it my full attention and I just haven't had the time yet. But I've read bits of the introduction and also parts of the translation and so far I love them. I hope to be back with a more informed opinion once I've actually read it LOL

Scholars

I have to admit that I don't follow any specific scholar religiously. I tend to read whatever catches my interest. That being said, I do love Emily Wilson's work and I've read several of her articles and papers, I think they're really informative and well-written. When she was doing the promotion for her Iliad translation on Twitter I read a lot of the stuff she posted and they were all great. My favourite was her interview with Madeline Miller which you can read here. I also liked this review of her Iliad translation that I read recently, written by Stephanie Mc Carter. Basically, I follow her on Twitter and read the articles she posts, and some are very interesting. I also went to see her in person when she gave a lecture in Athens in October, it was really good but unfortunately it isn't online anymore so I can't link it :(

I also really like watching Madeline Miller interviews on Youtube, I think I've watched every single one that's out there and even though some of them are brief or repetitive because interviewers usually ask her the same questions, I do think she always has something interesting to says both related to her books/writing but also the Iliad and the Odyssey that have inspired her. There are two interviews in particular that I like, this one which is more about TSOA and the Iliad, and this one which is more about Circe and the Odyssey. I genuinely enjoy listening to her a lot, I find it very calming.

My friend @darlingpoppet recently introduced me to the work of Celsiana Warwick, and I've really enjoyed reading her stuff!! Particularly this one which is about conjugal bonds and the homoerotic subtext of the Iliad, and this one which is about gender and kleos in the Iliad. Good stuff, and I look forward to reading more!

Papers

There are a few papers about Achilles and Patroclus that I really like and that I go back to from time to time. I have far too many in my jstor account and can't go through all of them right now, but these spring to mind:

Achilles and Patroclus in Love by W.M. Clarke, it's a very informative analysis of the homoerotic subtext of the Iliad and tries to "prove" in a way that Achilles and Patroclus are in a romantic/erotic relationship. Super interesting!

The Relationship between Achilles and Patroclus according to Chariton of Aphrodisias and Was the Relationship between Achilles and Patroclus Homoerotic? The View of Apollonius Rhodius by Gabriel Laguna-Mariscal and Manuel Sanz-Morales are two very interesting analyses of Achilles and Patroclus' relationship in relation to other ancient works, they're not too long and I found them very fun to read.

Euphorbus and the Death of Achilles by Roberto Nickel is super interesting and has some really cool takes on the deaths of Hector, Achilles and Patroclus and how they are all related.

Some more stuff

Some more videos I've watched and find rather interesting are The Contemporary Relevance of the Iliad by Erwin Cook, Why Homer Matters which is a talk between Adam Nicholson and Paul Cartledge (whose work and lectures on ancient greek history are always super informative!! I love watching his stuff even if they're not directly Iliad-related) I don't vibe with everything that's said in this video honestly nor do I agree with a lot of Nicholson's takes but they did make some interesting points about Homer's relevance and the emphasis on honour/glory in a world without justice and in a war without good leadership, so it might be worth a watch. Lastly, another series of video lectures that I really like is Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey, it's five lectures in total and a great introduction to the Homeric works which also goes into the historical context a little bit, very informative even for someone who is well versed in Homer.

I hope this helped! I can't think of any more off the top of my head now, and I really should get ready to leave for work lmao, but if I do think of anything else, I'll add it here :D Also, if you're reading this and have something to add feel free to do so!

#patrochilles #achilles #patroclus #the iliad #homer's iliad #greek mythology #greek literature

[scribefindegil]

Iambic pentameter is a very common meter in English because it's the closest to the general stress and cadence of spoken speech. This is why in Shakespeare etc characters can speak in blank verse and, if you have a good actor, it will still sound comparatively "natural."

If you start messing around with meters with much more than ten syllables, it starts to feel much less natural really quickly. We don't really like long lines without a break; this is why ballad meter gets conceptualized as alternating four- and three-foot lines instead of a single seven-foot line, why Alexandrines (iambic hexameter) feel like tripping down the stairs, and why it takes a lot of work to write dactylic hexameter in English and keep up the flow.

*This* is why Ninth (and my suggestion for Eighth) House poetry is bad. The phrases are just too long to feel good in English. Too much poetry per poetry. You will fall asleep.

[olympianbutch]

My copy of the Illiad & Odyssey are translated by Samuel Butler. Is this good or too outdated and should look for a different copy. Its not for academic study or myth analysis. Simply because I think I should read both in full as a Hellenic Polytheist 😅

There's certainly nothing wrong with Butler's translation! It's just that since he was writing in the 1890–1900s, it can be difficult for us modern readers to fully digest his translation style!

That's kind of the problem with all older translations, I think—they aren't the most readable, but also, there will always be some trouble interpreting Homer because we are so far removed from the original audiences who would've heard these Epics performed as songs.

Wilson's translations are by far the best in terms of readability because she changes the meter from dactylic hexameter (which only really works in Greek) to iambic pentameter, which is the meter Shakespeare uses. In that way, she adapts the Homeric Epics to fit an English meter, which is ideal for English-speaking audiences!

#helpol #hellenic polytheism #hellenic polytheist

[jacketpotatoo]

Are you enjoying Emily Wilson's Iliad translation (from what you've read so far)? Both her Odyssey and Iliad translations are on my TBR list for this year :)

I very much am! her translation is in iambic pentameter so it flows really well - her justification is that the Homeric Epics were meant to be performed orally (the original greek text was in hexameter, which made it conversational and easy for performers to riff off) and iambic pentameter is the closest to that in the English language. It’s poetic but not overly flowery so it’s easy to follow. I’m really enjoying the audiobook for that reason (the narrator’s great). I’ve skimmed through her Odyssey because I had to write an essay on it and liked it a lot - the part where Odysseus and Penelope talk is especially touching. The other version I read was Samuel Butler’s prose translation and i do prefer Emily Wilson’s. I’ve heard good things about Robert Fagles’ as well but haven’t gotten around to it.

I’ve also seen things about Wilson’s perspective being fresher in regards to the handling of women in both Epics (especially in the Odyssey regarding the slaves). Hope this was helpful and I’d love to hear your thoughts when you get around to them :)

#I can’t quite recall if she’s the first to do the iambic pentameter thing but it’s definitely a plus over the prose versions imo #if only because it’s closer to how the Greeks actually *experienced* the epic rather than it being a direct ‘accurate’ translation #thanks for the ask! #answered #jp rambles #books #mythology #the Iliad #the odyssey

[shcherbatskya]

i’m trying to get back into latin for my stupid self studying thing which means i have to get back into scansion. and i like iambic pentameter sooo much better than dactylic hexameter. iambic pentameter is literally da DUM, da DUM, da DUM, da DUM, da DUM, ten beats. da DUM, da DUM, da DUM, da DUM, da DUM, five feets. (<- reference to the iambic pentameter song by matthew patrick davis)

#samael speaks

[firstofficerrose]

The copy of the book that I’m reading is used, and it’s got this one sentence underlined. The sentence in question:

“Some talk of Alexander, and some of Hercules, of Hector and Lsander and such great names as these.”

and the previous reader of the book has a solitary annotation to make:

“Rhymes!”

And they are right. I salute you, previous reader.

(I think it’s also a couplet in an imperfect iambic hexameter. Which is quite lovely, and seems to me to reference both Shakespeare and the Odyssey in poetic form.)

#used books #eric #wizards novels #terry pratchett #discworld #rose reads #rose rambles

[astaldis]

My Whumpuary fics

@whumpuary

Whumpuary prompts 2 "Get away from me"/Choking:

Broken Mirror, Black Heart

Emhyr var Emreis does not believe in ghosts, no. They are nothing but old wives' tales. And the rumours about the ghost in the guest wing are utterly ridiculous, of course, or are they?

Rating: Mature; Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death

Characters: Emhyr var Emreis, Gallatin

Words: 2,970 Chapters: 1/1

Whumpuary prompts 11 Blood, 13 Left to die:

All That Blood

Leo Bonhart's farewell speech to Cahir after their fight at Stygga Castle.

Rating: Mature; Archive Warnings: Major Character Death (or maybe not?);

Characters: Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach, Leo Bonhart

Words: 500 Chapters: 1/1

Whumpuary prompts 10 Desperation, 11 Blood, 13 Barely Conscious, alt.1 Stabbed:

As He Lay Dying

Rating: Mature; Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Characters: Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon

Words: 555 Chapters: 1/1

Whumpuary prompts 2 Collapse, 3 "This is gonna hurt", 4 Lightheaded, 6 Exhaustion, 8 "You look awful", 12 "You're awake!", 13 Barely Conscious, alt.1 Stabbed, Alt. 8 Blood Loss:

Earned Loyalty

After having been ambushed by humans, Gallatin is seriously wounded. Lucky for him, not all humans hate elves. It's not all that easy for Cahir to fulfil his dangerous mission in the Nazairean highlands either. - This is the story of how Gallatin and Cahir meet for the first time. (Set shortly after Emhyr defeated the Usurper in 1260.)

Rating: Mature, Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Characters: Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach, Gallatin (The Witcher)

Words: 32,000 Chapters: 14/15

Whumpuary prompt 11 Blood

One More Little Shot

At Stygga Castle Milva saves the Hansa - at a very high price. A poem in iambic hexameter.

Rating: Mature, Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death

Characters: Maria Barring | Milva, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, The Hansa | Geralt's Company Members (The Witcher)

Words: 169 Chapters: 1/1

#whumpuary2024 #whumpuary #the witcher #the witcher netflix #the witcher books #the witcher fanficton #cahir mawr dyffryn aep ceallach #gallatin #cirilla fiona elen riannon #emhyr var emreis #leo bonhart #cahir whump #cahir

[coincidencemagnet]

Will now be referring to Solas as Iambic Hexameter.

[batgovernor]

Odd poem: 'When I Was Fair and Young', by Queen Elizabeth I

Odd poem: ‘When I Was Fair and Young’, by Queen Elizabeth I

When I was fair and young, and favour gracèd me, Of many I was sought, their mistress for to be; But I did scorn them all, and answered them therefore, ‘Go, go, go, seek some otherwhere, Importune me no more!’ How many weeping eyes I made to pine with woe, How many sighing hearts, I have no skill to show; Yet I the prouder grew, and answered them therefore, ‘Go, go, go, seek some otherwhere,…

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#Armada #Erik XIV #iambic hexameter #Philip II #Queen Elizabeth I #refrain #singable #Virgin Queen #youth

[creatediana]

“God Is the Long Impatience in My Head” - a Petrarchan sonnet written 3/25/2019

#i added that alexandrine at the end ya see? #that makes this the first post i can tag with #iambic hexameter #alexandrine #i'm still not comfortable w that meter and i dont think i ever will be #but i wrote a long opinion post on my main about my completely pulled-out-of-my-ass (but very elaborate) theory onto why that might be #but whatever. enough. #iambic meter #iambic pentameter #sonnet #petrarchan sonnet #2019 #college years #form poetry #poets on tumblr #solipsism #religious poetry #it's not really a religious poem i'm more using god as a metaphor but still. i am agnostic so. kinda #agnostic poetry

[scribefindegil]

We know what Ninth House poetry is like (terrible!) but we should talk about which meters and poetic forms are in vogue for the other Houses. Some initial thoughts:

The Second: Meter? Iambic or maybe trochaic. Absolutely has to be one of the two-syllable feet though. Number of feet can vary. Form? Couplets. The Second is about epigrams, about the sort of pithy little poem that you could engrave onto the handle of a weapon or use as a grave marker. Short and regimented. They don't *do* long-form.

The Third: Dactyls all the way babyyyyy! Lots of playful/light verse; tend to think everyone else takes poetry much too seriously. A bunch of funky little closed forms with triplets and repeating lines. You know, the sparkly kind where you don't really say anything but it's great for showing off how clever you are. Also. Villanelles.

The Fourth: Iambic tetrameter. Lots of cross-rhymed quatrains; little emphasis on closed forms.

The Fifth: They get iambic pentameter, the lucky bastards.

The Sixth: The sestina is absolutely the most Sixth House poetic form in existence. I bet they have competitions where they're given the end words and have a time limit to complete their poems. I bet Palamades has written sad sestinas about Dulcie. Probably dactylic hexameter even though I kind of feel like that's too cool for them. They might also use Alexandrines bc they're both six-footed and insufferable.

The Seventh: Ballad meter! In the real world we think of this as alternating lines of iambic tetrameter and trimeter, but if you throw it all on one line you can call it iambic heptameter instead. If you want. Great for poems about melancholy and death! Also they write a lot of sonnets (14 lines!), especially the Petrarchan form.

The Eighth: I feel in my heart that they look down on purely syllabic meters and also the concept of rhyming and insist that the only worthwhile poetry is some accentual-syllabic Beowulf shit. Irl this manifests as four alliterative accented syllables per line with the strongest emphasis on the last one. You *could* just string two lines together to make eight accented syllables and call it a day, but that isn't stupid enough. Merely contemplating Eighth and Ninth house poetry should be enough to give you a headache. It is one line with eight stresses. It's awful. Every stressed syllable has to alliterate except the final one, and when a poet finally reaches the end of the line everyone watching applauds in sheer relief.

#the locked tomb #poetry