Emily Wilson, translator
Following her acclaimed translation of Homer’s Odyssey, Emily Wilson has released her translation of Homer’s Iliad. She exceeds expectations with this translation since there is much to be admired.
The translation opens with a substantial Introduction to the text in which Wilson explores some of the major themes and emotional landscape of the poem. She follows this with Translator’s Notes in which she explains how and why she made the choices she did in translating the text while adhering to the spirit of the poem. This section is particularly interesting, especially her explanation of why she chose to translate the poem in iambic pentameter as it allowed her “the flexibility and energy necessary to evoke the experience of reading the Greek.” The Translator’s Note is followed with maps, the text, extensive Notes, Genealogies, and Glossary. The result is a thoroughly comprehensive work that breathes fresh life into this classic.
Wilson’s translation is elegant, sensual, and packed with emotional fervor. Her characters emerge as unique individuals who reveal themselves through fresh, natural-sounding dialogue and through the warrior banter in which they try to outdo each other with insults or praise, depending on the situation. She movingly captures tender moments as when Hector embraces his son. And she captures the bickering back and forth between the immortals, portraying them as spoilt children nursing a grudge. The poem moves at a breathless pace with a rhythm that is buoyant. Her diction is in plain, accessible English with a contemporary feel.
Wilson successfully communicates the oral nature of the poem, designing it in such a way as to be read and heard aloud. This is an impressive achievement, breathing fresh life into the poem and filling it with vivid color, plunging action, and immersive sensory detail.
Very highly recommended.