Homer's whole language, the language in which he lived, the language that he breathed, because he never saw it, or certainly those who formed his tradition never saw it, in characters on the pages. It was all on the tongue and in the ear. Robert Fitzgerald breathecharacterear share on social
The heart of the matter seems to me to be the direct interaction between one's making a poem in English and a poem in the language that one understands and values. I don't see how you can do it otherwise. Robert Fitzgerald directenglishheart share on social
That helped me to keep in touch with myself and to keep in touch with this really quite extraordinary language and literature into which I had pushed a little way. Robert Fitzgerald extraordinaryhelplanguage Change image and share on social
Yes, and there were changes of light on landscapes and changes of direction of the wind and the force of the wind and weather. That whole scene is too important in Homer to neglect. Robert Fitzgerald directionforcehomer Change image and share on social
Is encouragement what the poet needs? Open question. Maybe he needs discouragement. In fact, quite a few of them need more discouragement, the most discouragement possible. Robert Fitzgerald discouragementencouragementfact Change image and share on social
What the translator - myself in particular - does is not comparable to what the Homeric performer was doing. Robert Fitzgerald comparablehomericperformer Change image and share on social
Poetry is at least an elegance and at most a revelation. Robert Fitzgerald elegancepoetryrevelation Change image and share on social
The invention of Bob Dylan with his guitar belongs in its way to the same kind of tradition of something meant to be heard, as the songs of Homer. Robert Fitzgerald belongbobdylan Change image and share on social
I think it was lucky that during most of the work on the Odyssey I lived on Homer's sea in houses that were, in one case, shaken by the impact of the Mediterranean winter storms on the rocks below. Robert Fitzgerald casehomerhouse Change image and share on social
In fact, eloquence in English will inevitably make use of the Latin element in our vocabulary. Robert Fitzgerald elementeloquenceenglish Change image and share on social
