The Shade of Homer: A Study in Modern Greek Poetry

by David Ricks

Overview

In exploring the significance of Homer for the poetry of Modern Greece, Dr. Ricks is tackling a theme that has implications for the study of poetic influence in general. He takes the work of Sikelianos, Cavafy and Seferis and subjects a selection of poems that deal with specifically Homeric themes to a careful scrutiny. All Greek is translated, modern poets from outside Greece find their way into the discussion, and the reader has no need to be a specialist in Greek to find this study absorbing and instructive.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521604536
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	08/05/2004
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.54(h) x 0.51(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction: Homer and the modern Greek poets; Part I. Homer in the New Greece: The Spirit and the Letter: 1. Kalvos and Solomos; 2. Archaism and kleftism; 3. Palamas; Part II. Sikelianos: 4. The Homeric inheritance; 5. Greek romanticism comes of age; 6. Beyond Homer; Part III. Cavafy: 7. Modes of misquotation; 8. Ancient days; 9. Homer into history; Part IV. Seferis: 10. Scholia; 11. Ulysses/Disseas; 12. Homer and the poetic vocation; 13. Beyond the folk tradition; 14. Spirit and letter in 'The King of Asine'; Reflections; Further reading; References; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"...an invaluable guide to the poetry of modern Greece. His study is informed by a command of Homeric poetry and a long familiarity with the Iliad and Odyssey that allow him to recognize the many forms of allusion to Homer in modern Greek poetry, many of which would be invisible to the untrained eye. He clearly knows the full range of the poets he is working with, and this makes it possible for him to concentrate on their relation to Homer." Arion

"The learning and sophistication displayed in this critical study...demonstrate how far the academic exploration of modern Greek literature has progressed...It is also among the book's virtues that it remains coherent and readable throughout, without recourse to the jargon or political bias of much contemporary criticism." Times Literary Supplement

"The Shade of Homer is well researched, and Ricks provides a helpful list of books for further reading. It is a fascinating, very clearly written and effectively organized study that should prove valuable both for students of modern Greek poetry and for readers interested in the continuity of the classical tradition in modern literature." Bruce Fogelman, English

"The case is proved to the hilt in this book of strenuous thinking and careful discrimination." Henry Gifford, Journal of Modern Greek Studies

From the Publisher