Dr Peter Lowe

Introduction to Themes and Scope of the Course

This course, which blends close-reading of a canonical literary text with the opportunity to consider the lasting influence of that text on writers of later periods, is structured around Homer’s epic poem The Iliad (read in a modern translation).  This verse epic, which scholars believe to date from the 7^th century BCE, is arguably the archetypal tale of warfare, a work of heroism and loss, of cities destroyed and civilisations in crisis.  It resonates through the ages, from the siege of Troy through the upheavals of two World Wars into recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, simultaneously celebrating and mourning the lives of the heroic young men who pursue glory in battle but cannot evade the death that so often comes with it.

Having studied Homer’s text in detail, we will consider its influence on the work of more recent authors, from the Modernist poets T. S. Eliot and W. H. Auden through the striking re-interpretations of the poem by Christopher Logue to the contemporary writers Madeline Miller and Alice Oswald.  Although 2,700 years old, we will see that Homer’s epic remains not just an integral part of our world’s cultural heritage, but is also a text that challenges and inspires writers to respond in their own way to its epic content.

Assessment Requirements (and percentages) for this course

Assessment will take the form of a Field Study Report (20%), a research essay of around 4,000 words (60%) and a mark for class participation (20%). 

Field Studies for this Course

Our first field study will see us visit the British Museum to see the Greek collections and those material remains from the time of the Trojan War that can help us form at least a partial understanding of the world of the conflict, and the later world of Homer’s poem.  We will use this field study to consider the relationship between literature and history, and ask whether a text like the Iliadshould be seen as a record of events or a re-interpretation of them.

It is hoped that our second field study will see the poet Alice Oswald visit the BISC to speak to us about her recent work Memorial, a modern re-working of the Iliad rich in contemporary relevance.  Ms Oswald will discuss with us the challenges facing a 21^st century writer using Homer as a source for their work.

Required Books and Materials

Homer, The Iliad (translated by Robert Fagles. London: Penguin, ISBN: 978-0-14-044592-3)

Christopher Logue, Logue’s Homer: War Music (London: Faber, ISBN: 978-0-571-20907-1)

Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles (London: Bloomsbury, ISBN: 978-1-4088-2198-5)

Alice Oswald, Memorial (London: Faber, ISBN: 978-0571274185)

Other texts will be made available in the form of in-class handouts.

Lesson Plan, week by week, with assigned readings or materials and assessment due dates

Week 1	Introductory Session: Looking back on the Trojan War
Week 2	Homer, Iliad Books 1-8
Week 3	No Room for Heroism: Poetry of the First World War TBA Field Study to the British Museum, London
Week 4	Homer, Iliad Books 9-16
Week 5	Unreal Cities and Dead Soldiers: T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land TBA *Field Study Reports Due
Week 6	Homer, Iliad Books 17-24
Week 7	Mid Term Trip: No Classes
Week 8	Heading back to Troy: The Iliad in World War Two Classical Modernists: The Poetry of W. H. Auden and Louis MacNeice
Week 9	Christopher Logue, War Music: Translation or Adaptation?
Week 10	New Translations of the Iliad: A Poem for Our Times?
Week 11	Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles: The Iliad as Love Story
Week 12	Alice Oswald, Memorial: A Very Modern Epic
TBA	*Comparative Essay Due