When I got my Kobo WiFI
(which is now obsolete and dead)
it came with one hundred and one
free downloads from Gutenberg dot com —
classics, including
Homer’s Iliad. Well!
Always wanted to read that. Felt I should.
It was the great Alexander Pope’s translation,
so I thought it must be good
(forgetting I was never mad on Pope).
Every male friend who saw me reading it
seized the e-reader out of my hands
devoured a few paragraphs,
then handed it back reluctantly, exclaiming,
“Such good stuff, isn’t it?”
I must say, I didn’t quite get it,
but I persevered. For several chapters.
By which time it gradually dawned —
it’s a boys’ book. This one fights that one,
these ones fight them. And in between
they give rousing speeches
urging each other on,
or occasionally chiding the few cowards.
They do like a bit of biffo, blokes.
Not me. I deleted Homer.
April PAD Challenge 2014, day 8: Two for Tuesday — a violent poem / a peaceful poem. This, of course, is the violent one.
I like both of these. So glad you've warned me about Homer - at times I think romantically of the classics I've missed out on and should get around to one day! Nup, not really.
ReplyDeleteWhat was so fascinating was that the blokes not only loved it, but obviously had prior acquaintance and were returning as to an old favourite.
Delete