Combining the advantages of a general introduction and a detailed commentary, Homer: Poet of the Iliad makes the insights of recent Homeric scholarship accessible even to a nonspecialist audience. Mark Edwards provides both a current account of the principles and techniques of Greek epic poetry and a scene-by-scene explication of the major books of the Iliad. He has written a book to enlighten classicists and general readers alike. Working from the assumption that interpretation of the epic requires an understanding of the ancient oral tradition and its conventions, Edwards offers a comprehensive analysis of the poetics of the Iliad and the Odyssey. Throughout, he demonstrates that Homer "is completely the master of his inherited techniques, and can use them, ignore them, violate them for certain effects, or transcend them as he wishes." Edwards draws from recent work on Homer's use of formulas and typical scenes and surveys such characteristics as meter, metaphor, sound, symbolism, and word play. He also discusses essential elements of Homeric society--its religion, history, and social values--to clarify the style and substance of the poetry. Homer's mastery and manipulation of convention are brought into sharp focus in Edwards's sensitive readings of ten major books of the Iliad. Following the poem's development and many parallels, the commentary itself builds an understanding in the way a performance might. Homer: Poet of the Iliad will make a perfect companion for readers deepening their appreciation of the poem and its form or for those encountering Homer's work for the first time. Buy Now!
