Pope's the Iliad of Homer, Books I, VI, XXII, XXIV

I've wanted to read more of Pope's translations of Homer and I was glad to have a chance with this little academic book that chose four books from the Iliad and added notes and an introduction. I have to say that the heroic couplet looks fun when you read a few lines here and there, but for a sustained piece of epic poetry, it became cumbersome and got in the way of the story. Yes, there was a rhythmic flow, but after awhile, all I could hear was the rhythm, not the content. Further, as many have noted, Pope embellished upon Homer, adding things that just weren't in the text. It makes for a good yarn but after having read the Iliad several times, I felt that it didn't need these extras to make it good.

I'm glad I've read it and now I can go back to other translations and explore new ones. I'm looking forward to reading Caroline Alexander's recent translation of the Iliad (2015). ( )