''On Translating Homer'', published in January 1861, was a printed version of the series of public lectures given by

Matthew Arnold Matthew Arnold (24 December 1822 – 15 April 1888) was an English poet and cultural critic who worked as an inspector of schools. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the celebrated headmaster of Rugby School, and brother to both Tom Arnold, lit ...

as Professor of Poetry at

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

from 3 November 1860 to 18 December 1860. Arnold's purpose was to discuss how his principles of literary criticism applied to the two

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

ic epics and to the translation of a classical text. He comments with disapproval on

John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English writer, philosopher, art critic and polymath of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as geology, architecture, myth, ornithology, literature, education, botany and pol ...

's 1860 review article "The English translators of Homer" in the ''

National Review ''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief ...

''. He gives much space to comparing and criticizing already-published translations of the epics, notably *

George Chapman George Chapman (Hitchin, Hertfordshire, – London, 12 May 1634) was an English dramatist, translator and poet. He was a classical scholar whose work shows the influence of Stoicism. Chapman has been speculated to be the Rival Poet of Shakesp ...

’s ''

Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Iliad'', th ...

'' *

Alexander Pope Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early 18th century. An exponent of Augustan literature, ...

’s ''

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the '' Odys ...

'' *

William Cowper William Cowper ( ; 26 November 1731 – 25 April 1800) was an English poet and Anglican hymnwriter. One of the most popular poets of his time, Cowper changed the direction of 18th-century nature poetry by writing of everyday life and sce ...

's ''Iliad'' *

Ichabod Charles Wright Ichabod Charles Wright (11 April 1795 – 14 October 1871) was an English scholar, translator, poet and accountant. He is best known for his translation of important works of Italian literature, notably the works of Dante's ''Divine Comedy''. ...

's ''Iliad'' (vol. 1, 1859; vol. 2 was to appear in 1865) * Francis W. Newman's ''Iliad'' (1856) He adds polite comments on

William Maginn William Maginn (10 July 1794 – 21 August 1842) was an Irish journalist and writer. About Born at Cork he became a contributor to ''Blackwood's Magazine'', and after moving to London in 1824 became for a few months in 1826 the Paris correspon ...

's ''Homeric Ballads'' (which first appeared in ''

Fraser's Magazine ''Fraser's Magazine for Town and Country'' was a general and literary journal published in London from 1830 to 1882, which initially took a strong Tory line in politics. It was founded by Hugh Fraser and William Maginn in 1830 and loosely directe ...

'', where Arnold intended to publish these lectures). Arnold identifies four essential qualities of Homer the poet to which the translator must do justice:

that he is eminently rapid; that he is eminently plain and direct both in the evolution of his thought and in the expression of it, that is, both in his syntax and in his words; that he is eminently plain and direct in the substance of his thought, that is, in his matter and ideas; and, finally, that he is eminently noble

After a discussion of the meters employed by previous translators, and in other existing English narrative poetry, he argues the need for a translation of the ''Iliad'' in

hexameter Hexameter is a metrical line of verses consisting of six feet (a "foot" here is the pulse, or major accent, of words in an English line of poetry; in Greek and Latin a "foot" is not an accent, but describes various combinations of syllables). It w ...

s in a poetical dialect, like the original. He notes the German translations of the ''Iliad'' and ''Odyssey'' into hexameters by

Johann Heinrich Voss Johann Heinrich Voss (german: Johann Heinrich Voß, ; 20 February 1751 – 29 March 1826) was a German classicist and poet, known mostly for his translation of Homer's ''Odyssey'' (1781) and ''Iliad'' (1793) into German. Life Voss was born at S ...

. He quotes English hexameter translations of short Homeric passages by himself and by E. C. Hawtrey and also surveys original English hexameter poetry, including * Arthur Hugh Clough, '' The Bothie of Tober-na-Vuolich'' *

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include " Paul Revere's Ride", '' The Song of Hiawatha'', and ''Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely tran ...

, ''

Evangeline ''Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie'' is an epic poem by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, written in English and published in 1847. The poem follows an Acadian girl named Evangeline and her search for her lost love Gabriel, set during t ...

'' Arnold reserved much space for the criticism of the recently published translation of the ''Iliad'' into a ballad-like metre by F. W. Newman. Newman took offence at Arnold's public criticism of his translation, and published a reply, ''Homeric Translation in Theory and Practice''. To this Arnold in turn responded, with a last lecture, given at Oxford on 30 November 1861, afterwards separately published in March 1862 under the title ''On Translating Homer: last words''.

Bibliography

* Matthew Arnold, ''On the classical tradition'' ed. R. H. Super. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1960. ext with commentary.* F. W. Newman, ''Homeric Translation in Theory and Practice: a reply to Matthew Arnold, Esq.'' London, 1861.
e-text from victorianprose.org
*

, ''A Letter to the Dean of Canterbury on the Homeric Lectures of Matthew Arnold''. London, 1864.

External links

Matthew Arnold, ''On Translating Homer''
e-text (PDF) from victorianprose.org
''On Translating Homer: Last Words''
(PDF) {{Iliad navbox History of translation Translation publications Books of literary criticism Works by Matthew Arnold 1861 non-fiction books Homer