The lucky elite who can read Homer in Greek know that even the best translation is really a new version of Homer. His poetry cannot be reproduced in English. Conversely, an old saying has it that every age must retranslate the classics in its own image—otherwise they die. Hence translation is a job for poets rather than linguists, for the task is to preserve the ancients' spirit yet make it vividly relevant to moderns.
Dryden did it for Virgil, Pope for Homer. A few living poets have recently produced such elegant efforts as Richmond...
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