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Emily Wilson's "The Odyssey" Translation Discourse

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Related Explainer: Why Is Twitter Talking About Emily Wilson's Translation Of 'The Odyssey?' The 'Tell Me About A Complicated Man' Controversy Explained

Robert Fitzgerald T.E. Lawrence Sing in me, Muse, and through Divine Poesy, me tell the story of that man skilled in all ways of contending, the wanderer, harried for years on end, after he plundered the stronghold on the proud height of Troy. He saw the towns and Goddess-daughter of Zeus, Sustain for me This song of the various- minded man, Who after he had plundered The innermost citadel of hallowed Troy Was made to stray grievously About the coasts of men, The sport of their customs and learned the minds of many good or bad, distant men and weathered many bitter nights and days in his deep heart at sea, while he fought only to save his life, and bring his shipmates home. But not by will nor valor could he save them, for their own recklessness destroyed them all- children and fools, they killed and feasted on the cattle of Lord Helios, the Sun, and he who moves all day through heaven took from their eyes and the dawn of their return. Of these adventures, Muse, daughter of Zeus, tell us in our time, lift the great While his heart Through all the seafaring Ached in an agony to redeem himself And bring his company safe home. Vain hope for them! For his fellows he strove in vain, Their own witlessness cast them away; The fools, To destroy for meat The oxen of the most exalted sun! Wherefore the sun-god blotted out The day of their return. Make the tale live for us In all its many bearings, O Muse. Robert Fagles Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy. Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds, many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea, fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home. But he could not save them from disaster, hard as he strove- the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all, the blind fools, they devoured the cattle of the Sun and the Sungod wiped from sight the day of their return. Emily Wilson I saw Odysseus at a marketplace in Ithaca yesterday. I told him how inspiring his journey was and how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn't want to seem like a pest and ask for a story or a recounting of his exploits. He said, "Oh, like you're doing now?" I was taken aback, and all I could say was "Huh?" but he kept cutting me off and going "huh? huh? huh?" and gesturing as if steering a ship, right in front of my face. I walked away to browse some amphorae, and I heard him chuckle as I left. When I came to pay for my goods, I saw him trying to leave with his arms full of pomegranates and figs without paying. The market keeper was very polite and said, "Sir, you need to pay for those first." Launch out on his story, Muse, At first, Odysseus pretended he daughter of Zeus, couldn't hear her, claiming he was lost in thought, but eventually, he start from where you will-sing sighed and brought the fruit to the for our time too. counter. When she began tallying the figs quickly, he stopped her and said she should count each piece individually "to avoid any divine interference," then turned to wink at me. I don't even think "divine interference" works like that. After she weighed and counted each item, and started to tell him the price, he kept interrupting her by dramatically reciting the opening lines of The Iliad.
hey guys POLYAMOROUS NOT WHAT I'M CALLED
tanya @Tanya Sabrinaaa i actually read the Odyssey in the original greek. complete waste of time, i have no idea what those symbols mean Why does Wilson's translation spark debate? What's lost in modern tran 12:46 AM - Dec 30, 2024 111.6K Views
Nathan Long @NathanLongs The most egregious thing about this post is that it purposely formats Wilson's translation so that the lines aren't in iambic pentameter, which is her most brilliant contribution to the canon of Odyssey translations. Tell me about a complicated man. Muse, tell me how he wandered and was lost when he had wrecked the holy town of Troy, and where he went, and who he met, the pain he suffered in the storms at sea, and how he worked to save his life and bring his men back home. He failed to keep them safe; poor fools, they ate the Sun God's cattle, and the god kept them from home. Now goddess, child of Zeus, tell the old story for our modern times. balls 2 @megaballs45. Dec 27 wow this translation sucks x.com/hyuumanatees/s... Robert Fitzgerald T.E. Lawrence Sing in me, Muse, and through Divine Poesy. me tell the story of that man skilled in all ways of contending. Goddess-daughter of Zeus, Sustain for me This song of the various- the wanderer, harried for years minded man, on end, after he plundered the stronghold on the proud height of Troy He saw the towns and Who after he had plundered The innermost citadel of hallowed Troy Was made to stray grievously About the coasts of men, The sport of their customs and learned the minds of many good or bad, distant men and weathered many bitter nights and days While his heart Through all the seafaring Ached in an agony to redeem in his deep heart at sea, while himself he fought only to save his life, and bring his shipmates home. And bring his company safe home. But not by will nor valor could Vain hope for them! he save them, for their own recklessness destroyed them all- children and fools, they killed and feasted on For his fellows he strove in vain, Their own witlessness cast them away: The fools Robert Fagles Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy. Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds, many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea. fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home. But he could not save them from disaster, hard as he strove- the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all, the blind fools, they devoured the cattle of the Sun and the Sungod wiped from sight the day of their return. Launch out on his story, Muse, daughter of Zeus, start from where you will-sing for our time too. 10 Emily Wilson Tell me about a complicated man. Muse, tell me how he wandered and was lost when he had wrecked the holy town of Troy, and where he went, and who he met, the pain he suffered in the storms at sea, and how he worked to save his life and bring his men back home. He failed to keep them safe; poor fools, they ate the Sun God's cattle, and the god kept them from home. Now goddess, child of Zeus, tell the old story for our modern times. Find the beginning.
Yeerk.P@PYeerk Dec 28 Emily Wilson's 'Tell me about a complicated man' is possibly the most condescending sentence in English literature Why modernize ancient texts? 110 17376 10K How does translation affect perce 711K Yeerk.P @PYeerk⚫ Dec 28 I don't think any of these 'exposing the cracks in the patriarchal story' women writers ever get told to their face that they're condescending, and you can really tell 15 Yeerk.P 17 39 2.5K ill 48K ☐ 1 ✓ @PYeerk The defining character of their work is always the presumption that nothing they say could ever have occurred to the 'complicated men' they write about • 10:23 PM • Dec 28, 2024 47.4K Views
balls 2 @megaballs45 wow this translation sucks Robert Fitzgerald T.E. Lawrence Sing in me, Muse, and through Divine Poesy, me tell the story of that man skilled in all ways of contending. Goddess-daughter of Zeus, Sustain for me This song of the various- the wanderer, harried for years minded man, on end, after he plundered the stronghold on the proud height of Troy. He saw the towns and Who after he had plundered The innermost citadel of hallowed Troy Was made to stray grievously About the coasts of men, The sport of their customs and learned the minds of many good or bad, distant men and weathered many bitter nights and days While his heart Through all the seafaring Ached in an agony to redeem in his deep heart at sea, while himself he fought only to save his life, and bring his shipmates home. And bring his company safe home. But not by will nor valor could Vain hope for them! he save them, for their own recklessness destroyed them all- children and fools, they killed and feasted on the cattle of Lord Helios, the Sun, and he who moves all day through heaven took from their eyes and the dawn of their return. Of these adventures, Muse, daughter of Zeus, For his fellows he strove in vain, Their own witlessness cast them away; The fools, To destroy for meat The oxen of the most exalted sun! Wherefore the sun-god blotted out The day of their return. Make the tale live for us In all its many bearings, tell us in our time, lift the great O Muse. Robert Fagles man. Emily Wilson Muse, tell me how he wandered and was lost when he had wrecked the holy town of Troy, Sing to me of the man, Muse, Tell me about a complicated the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy. Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds, many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea, fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home. But he could not save them from disaster, hard as he strove- the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all, the blind fools, they devoured the cattle of the Sun and the Sungod wiped from sight the day of their return. Launch out on his story, Muse, daughter of Zeus, start from where you will-sing for our time too. and where he went, and who he met, the pain he suffered in the storms at sea, and how he worked to save his life and bring his men back home. He failed to keep them safe; poor fools, they ate the Sun God's cattle, and the god kept them from home. Now goddess, child of Zeus, tell the old story for our modern times. Find the beginning.
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Overview

Emily Wilson's The Odyssey Translation Discourse refers to discourse and memes surrounding a 2018 translation of Homer's the Odyssey by author Emily Wilson, the first translation of the work by a woman. In December 2024, following the announcement that Christopher Nolan would direct a film adaptation of the Odyssey, the Wilson translation became the subject of criticism after it was recommended by an X / Twitter user in a viral post. Some criticized the way Wilson arguably simplifies the language of the poem, particularly criticizing her translation of the line "Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy," as, "Tell me about a complicated man." Another main criticism is that Wilson's translation is too woke.

Background

In November 2018, author, translator and Classical Studies professor Emily Wilson's translation of Homer's the Odyssey was published. The translation has been positively reviewed by numerous reviewers, who have praised it for using iambic pantameter and having the same number of lines as the original.[1] Wilson's translation is the first translation of the Odyssey by a woman.

On December 23rd, 2024, the @UniversalPics X[2] page announced that Christopher Nolan's next film will be an adaptation of the Odyssey. That day, X[3] user @therealsupes posted a screenshot of a Google search for "the Odyssey," expressing shock over learning what the Odyssey is, garnering over 6,000 likes in a week. The post inspired some discourse about not knowing what the Odyssey is, suggesting everyone should know about it.

Matt Ramos @therealsupes H-------- The book is a retelling of a poem written in Ancient Greece more than two thousand years ago. The journey home from Troy to Ithaca takes Odysseus ten years. Along the way he Odyssey is met with huge storms and shipwrecks, a one-eyed giant, a witch who turns men into pigs and a a six- headed sea monster! Universal Pictures @UniversalPics - Dec 23 Christopher Nolan's next film 'The Odyssey' is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology. The film brings Homer's foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026. 5:38 PM - Dec 23, 2024 - 12.9M Views ㄖ

On December 26th, X[4] user @hyuumanatees posted an image of the cover for Wilson's translation of the Odyssey next to a photo of Wilson, writing, "'Oh, you've never read The Odyssey???' Your timing is perfect. Emily Wilson's translation is the best one in literally ages, has that sweet iambic pentameter to give it a 'bouncy' feel, & makes dudebros cry that the classic has 'gone woke'. 😁" garnering over 96,000 likes

Librarian Mama @hyuumanatees "Oh, you've never read The Odyssey???" Your timing is perfect. Emily Wilson's translation is the best one in literally ages, has that sweet iambic pentameter to give it a "bouncy" feel, & makes dudebros cry that the classic has "gone woke". S THE ODYSSEY HOMER Why iambic pentameter for 'The Odyssey'? What makes Wilson's transla 2:25 PM - Dec 26, 2024 28.9M Views

Online Reactions

The post by @hyuumanatees sparked discourse and memes across X about Wilson's translation of the Odyssey and translations of the Odyssey in general.

On December 27th, 2024, X[5] user @PaulSkallas posted a screenshot comparing a portion of Wilson's translation to a portion of Robert Fagles' translation, highlighting her translation "Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy," as, "Tell me about a complicated man," garnering over 37,000 likes in three days.

Later that day, X[6] user @megaballs45 posted a similar comparison of the same lines through several different translations, writing, "wow this translation sucks," garnering over 38,000 likes in the same span of time.

balls 2 @megaballs45 wow this translation sucks Robert Fitzgerald T.E. Lawrence Sing in me, Muse, and through Divine Poesy, me tell the story of that man skilled in all ways of contending. Goddess-daughter of Zeus, Sustain for me This song of the various- the wanderer, harried for years minded man, on end, after he plundered the stronghold on the proud height of Troy. He saw the towns and Who after he had plundered The innermost citadel of hallowed Troy Was made to stray grievously About the coasts of men, The sport of their customs and learned the minds of many good or bad, distant men and weathered many bitter nights and days While his heart Through all the seafaring Ached in an agony to redeem in his deep heart at sea, while himself he fought only to save his life, and bring his shipmates home. And bring his company safe home. But not by will nor valor could Vain hope for them! he save them, for their own recklessness destroyed them all- children and fools, they killed and feasted on the cattle of Lord Helios, the Sun, and he who moves all day through heaven took from their eyes and the dawn of their return. Of these adventures, Muse, daughter of Zeus, For his fellows he strove in vain, Their own witlessness cast them away; The fools, To destroy for meat The oxen of the most exalted sun! Wherefore the sun-god blotted out The day of their return. Make the tale live for us In all its many bearings, tell us in our time, lift the great O Muse. Robert Fagles man. Emily Wilson Muse, tell me how he wandered and was lost when he had wrecked the holy town of Troy, Sing to me of the man, Muse, Tell me about a complicated the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy. Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds, many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea, fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home. But he could not save them from disaster, hard as he strove- the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all, the blind fools, they devoured the cattle of the Sun and the Sungod wiped from sight the day of their return. Launch out on his story, Muse, daughter of Zeus, start from where you will-sing for our time too. and where he went, and who he met, the pain he suffered in the storms at sea, and how he worked to save his life and bring his men back home. He failed to keep them safe; poor fools, they ate the Sun God's cattle, and the god kept them from home. Now goddess, child of Zeus, tell the old story for our modern times. Find the beginning.

That same day, X[15] user @girlbossmoder posted a meme under the caption "in light of the recent odyssey discourse" in which a person calls the cyclops a "polyamorous" and he corrects them, saying, "not what I'm called," garnering over 120,000 likes in three days.

hey guys POLYAMOROUS NOT WHAT I'M CALLED

On December 28th, X[7] user @kukukadoo posted, "tell me about a polyamorous man -emily wilson’s woke odyssey," garnering over 2,100 likes in two days. Later that day, X[8] user @PYeerk posted, "Emily Wilson's 'Tell me about a complicated man' is possibly the most condescending sentence in English literature," garnering over 10,000 likes in two days.

katie kadue @kukukadoo tell me about a polyamorous man -emily wilson's woke odyssey 5:49 PM • Dec 28, 2024 60.8K Views

On December 29th, X[9] user @NathanLongs posted a defense for Wilson and a criticism of the post by @megaballs45 in which they compare her translations to others, noting that the graphic comparing the translations does not properly separate Wilson's work into iambic pentameter, writing, "The most egregious thing about this post is that it purposely formats Wilson’s translation so that the lines aren’t in iambic pentameter, which is her most brilliant contribution to the canon of Odyssey translations," garnering over 10,000 likes in a day.

Nathan Long @NathanLongs The most egregious thing about this post is that it purposely formats Wilson's translation so that the lines aren't in iambic pentameter, which is her most brilliant contribution to the canon of Odyssey translations. Tell me about a complicated man. Muse, tell me how he wandered and was lost when he had wrecked the holy town of Troy, and where he went, and who he met, the pain he suffered in the storms at sea, and how he worked to save his life and bring his men back home. He failed to keep them safe; poor fools, they ate the Sun God's cattle, and the god kept them from home. Now goddess, child of Zeus, tell the old story for our modern times. balls 2 @megaballs45. Dec 27 wow this translation sucks x.com/hyuumanatees/s... Robert Fitzgerald T.E. Lawrence Sing in me, Muse, and through Divine Poesy. me tell the story of that man skilled in all ways of contending. Goddess-daughter of Zeus, Sustain for me This song of the various- the wanderer, harried for years minded man, on end, after he plundered the stronghold on the proud height of Troy He saw the towns and Who after he had plundered The innermost citadel of hallowed Troy Was made to stray grievously About the coasts of men, The sport of their customs and learned the minds of many good or bad, distant men and weathered many bitter nights and days While his heart Through all the seafaring Ached in an agony to redeem in his deep heart at sea, while himself he fought only to save his life, and bring his shipmates home. And bring his company safe home. But not by will nor valor could Vain hope for them! he save them, for their own recklessness destroyed them all- children and fools, they killed and feasted on For his fellows he strove in vain, Their own witlessness cast them away: The fools Robert Fagles Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy. Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds, many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea. fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home. But he could not save them from disaster, hard as he strove- the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all, the blind fools, they devoured the cattle of the Sun and the Sungod wiped from sight the day of their return. Launch out on his story, Muse, daughter of Zeus, start from where you will-sing for our time too. 10 Emily Wilson Tell me about a complicated man. Muse, tell me how he wandered and was lost when he had wrecked the holy town of Troy, and where he went, and who he met, the pain he suffered in the storms at sea, and how he worked to save his life and bring his men back home. He failed to keep them safe; poor fools, they ate the Sun God's cattle, and the god kept them from home. Now goddess, child of Zeus, tell the old story for our modern times. Find the beginning.

That day, X[10] user @alex_orlov_ posted an unpopular opinion guns meme, writing, "How it feels to be woke and dislike the Emily Wilson Odyssey translation," garnering over 3,400 likes in a day. Later that day, X[11] user @jenny2x4 posted, "I frankly do not believe this many of you have read multiple translations of The Odyssey," garnering over 9,600 likes in a day.

On December 30th, X[12] user @Tanya_Sabrinaaa posted, "i actually read the Odyssey in the original greek. complete waste of time, i have no idea what those symbols mean," garnering over 27,000 likes in under a day.

tanya @Tanya Sabrinaaa i actually read the Odyssey in the original greek. complete waste of time, i have no idea what those symbols mean Why does Wilson's translation spark debate? What's lost in modern tran 12:46 AM - Dec 30, 2024 111.6K Views

On December 30th, X[13] user @_Zeets posted a defense for Wilson's translation, explaining how other translations of the poem are only celebrated more highly because they "sound older," not because they're more accurate, garnering over 21,000 likes in under a day. The user goes on to link to a now-deleted thread by Wilson in which she discusses this topic.[14]

Zito @_Zeets Emily Wilson spent years explaining how a lot of the older translations weren't translating the actual poem but riffing off each other only for people to come around because of Nolan and think the other translations are more accurate because they sound "older" 3:06 AM Dec 30, 2024 375.1K Views ...

Search Interest

External References

[1] WaPo – Emily Wilson's Odyssey

[2] X – UniversalPics

[3] X – therealsupes

[4] X – hyuumanatees

[5] X – PaulSkallas

[6] X – megaballs45

[7] X – kukukadoo

[8] X – PYeerk

[9] X – NathanLongs

[10] X – alex_orlov_

[11] X – jenny2x4

[12] X – Tanya_Sabrinaaa

[13] X – _Zeets

[14] ThreadReader – Dr Emily Wilson

[15] X – girlbossmoder

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Emily Wilson's "The Odyssey" Translation Discourse

Emily Wilson's "The Odyssey" Translation Discourse

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Related Explainer: Why Is Twitter Talking About Emily Wilson's Translation Of 'The Odyssey?' The 'Tell Me About A Complicated Man' Controversy Explained

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Overview

Emily Wilson's The Odyssey Translation Discourse refers to discourse and memes surrounding a 2018 translation of Homer's the Odyssey by author Emily Wilson, the first translation of the work by a woman. In December 2024, following the announcement that Christopher Nolan would direct a film adaptation of the Odyssey, the Wilson translation became the subject of criticism after it was recommended by an X / Twitter user in a viral post. Some criticized the way Wilson arguably simplifies the language of the poem, particularly criticizing her translation of the line "Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy," as, "Tell me about a complicated man." Another main criticism is that Wilson's translation is too woke.

Background

In November 2018, author, translator and Classical Studies professor Emily Wilson's translation of Homer's the Odyssey was published. The translation has been positively reviewed by numerous reviewers, who have praised it for using iambic pantameter and having the same number of lines as the original.[1] Wilson's translation is the first translation of the Odyssey by a woman.

On December 23rd, 2024, the @UniversalPics X[2] page announced that Christopher Nolan's next film will be an adaptation of the Odyssey. That day, X[3] user @therealsupes posted a screenshot of a Google search for "the Odyssey," expressing shock over learning what the Odyssey is, garnering over 6,000 likes in a week. The post inspired some discourse about not knowing what the Odyssey is, suggesting everyone should know about it.

Matt Ramos @therealsupes H-------- The book is a retelling of a poem written in Ancient Greece more than two thousand years ago. The journey home from Troy to Ithaca takes Odysseus ten years. Along the way he Odyssey is met with huge storms and shipwrecks, a one-eyed giant, a witch who turns men into pigs and a a six- headed sea monster! Universal Pictures @UniversalPics - Dec 23 Christopher Nolan's next film 'The Odyssey' is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology. The film brings Homer's foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026. 5:38 PM - Dec 23, 2024 - 12.9M Views ㄖ


On December 26th, X[4] user @hyuumanatees posted an image of the cover for Wilson's translation of the Odyssey next to a photo of Wilson, writing, "'Oh, you've never read The Odyssey???' Your timing is perfect. Emily Wilson's translation is the best one in literally ages, has that sweet iambic pentameter to give it a 'bouncy' feel, & makes dudebros cry that the classic has 'gone woke'. 😁" garnering over 96,000 likes

Librarian Mama @hyuumanatees "Oh, you've never read The Odyssey???" Your timing is perfect. Emily Wilson's translation is the best one in literally ages, has that sweet iambic pentameter to give it a "bouncy" feel, & makes dudebros cry that the classic has "gone woke". S THE ODYSSEY HOMER Why iambic pentameter for 'The Odyssey'? What makes Wilson's transla 2:25 PM - Dec 26, 2024 28.9M Views


Online Reactions

The post by @hyuumanatees sparked discourse and memes across X about Wilson's translation of the Odyssey and translations of the Odyssey in general.

On December 27th, 2024, X[5] user @PaulSkallas posted a screenshot comparing a portion of Wilson's translation to a portion of Robert Fagles' translation, highlighting her translation "Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy," as, "Tell me about a complicated man," garnering over 37,000 likes in three days.

Later that day, X[6] user @megaballs45 posted a similar comparison of the same lines through several different translations, writing, "wow this translation sucks," garnering over 38,000 likes in the same span of time.

balls 2 @megaballs45 wow this translation sucks Robert Fitzgerald T.E. Lawrence Sing in me, Muse, and through Divine Poesy, me tell the story of that man skilled in all ways of contending. Goddess-daughter of Zeus, Sustain for me This song of the various- the wanderer, harried for years minded man, on end, after he plundered the stronghold on the proud height of Troy. He saw the towns and Who after he had plundered The innermost citadel of hallowed Troy Was made to stray grievously About the coasts of men, The sport of their customs and learned the minds of many good or bad, distant men and weathered many bitter nights and days While his heart Through all the seafaring Ached in an agony to redeem in his deep heart at sea, while himself he fought only to save his life, and bring his shipmates home. And bring his company safe home. But not by will nor valor could Vain hope for them! he save them, for their own recklessness destroyed them all- children and fools, they killed and feasted on the cattle of Lord Helios, the Sun, and he who moves all day through heaven took from their eyes and the dawn of their return. Of these adventures, Muse, daughter of Zeus, For his fellows he strove in vain, Their own witlessness cast them away; The fools, To destroy for meat The oxen of the most exalted sun! Wherefore the sun-god blotted out The day of their return. Make the tale live for us In all its many bearings, tell us in our time, lift the great O Muse. Robert Fagles man. Emily Wilson Muse, tell me how he wandered and was lost when he had wrecked the holy town of Troy, Sing to me of the man, Muse, Tell me about a complicated the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy. Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds, many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea, fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home. But he could not save them from disaster, hard as he strove- the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all, the blind fools, they devoured the cattle of the Sun and the Sungod wiped from sight the day of their return. Launch out on his story, Muse, daughter of Zeus, start from where you will-sing for our time too. and where he went, and who he met, the pain he suffered in the storms at sea, and how he worked to save his life and bring his men back home. He failed to keep them safe; poor fools, they ate the Sun God's cattle, and the god kept them from home. Now goddess, child of Zeus, tell the old story for our modern times. Find the beginning.


That same day, X[15] user @girlbossmoder posted a meme under the caption "in light of the recent odyssey discourse" in which a person calls the cyclops a "polyamorous" and he corrects them, saying, "not what I'm called," garnering over 120,000 likes in three days.

hey guys POLYAMOROUS NOT WHAT I'M CALLED


On December 28th, X[7] user @kukukadoo posted, "tell me about a polyamorous man -emily wilson’s woke odyssey," garnering over 2,100 likes in two days. Later that day, X[8] user @PYeerk posted, "Emily Wilson's 'Tell me about a complicated man' is possibly the most condescending sentence in English literature," garnering over 10,000 likes in two days.

katie kadue @kukukadoo tell me about a polyamorous man -emily wilson's woke odyssey 5:49 PM • Dec 28, 2024 60.8K Views


On December 29th, X[9] user @NathanLongs posted a defense for Wilson and a criticism of the post by @megaballs45 in which they compare her translations to others, noting that the graphic comparing the translations does not properly separate Wilson's work into iambic pentameter, writing, "The most egregious thing about this post is that it purposely formats Wilson’s translation so that the lines aren’t in iambic pentameter, which is her most brilliant contribution to the canon of Odyssey translations," garnering over 10,000 likes in a day.

Nathan Long @NathanLongs The most egregious thing about this post is that it purposely formats Wilson's translation so that the lines aren't in iambic pentameter, which is her most brilliant contribution to the canon of Odyssey translations. Tell me about a complicated man. Muse, tell me how he wandered and was lost when he had wrecked the holy town of Troy, and where he went, and who he met, the pain he suffered in the storms at sea, and how he worked to save his life and bring his men back home. He failed to keep them safe; poor fools, they ate the Sun God's cattle, and the god kept them from home. Now goddess, child of Zeus, tell the old story for our modern times. balls 2 @megaballs45. Dec 27 wow this translation sucks x.com/hyuumanatees/s... Robert Fitzgerald T.E. Lawrence Sing in me, Muse, and through Divine Poesy. me tell the story of that man skilled in all ways of contending. Goddess-daughter of Zeus, Sustain for me This song of the various- the wanderer, harried for years minded man, on end, after he plundered the stronghold on the proud height of Troy He saw the towns and Who after he had plundered The innermost citadel of hallowed Troy Was made to stray grievously About the coasts of men, The sport of their customs and learned the minds of many good or bad, distant men and weathered many bitter nights and days While his heart Through all the seafaring Ached in an agony to redeem in his deep heart at sea, while himself he fought only to save his life, and bring his shipmates home. And bring his company safe home. But not by will nor valor could Vain hope for them! he save them, for their own recklessness destroyed them all- children and fools, they killed and feasted on For his fellows he strove in vain, Their own witlessness cast them away: The fools Robert Fagles Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy. Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds, many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea. fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home. But he could not save them from disaster, hard as he strove- the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all, the blind fools, they devoured the cattle of the Sun and the Sungod wiped from sight the day of their return. Launch out on his story, Muse, daughter of Zeus, start from where you will-sing for our time too. 10 Emily Wilson Tell me about a complicated man. Muse, tell me how he wandered and was lost when he had wrecked the holy town of Troy, and where he went, and who he met, the pain he suffered in the storms at sea, and how he worked to save his life and bring his men back home. He failed to keep them safe; poor fools, they ate the Sun God's cattle, and the god kept them from home. Now goddess, child of Zeus, tell the old story for our modern times. Find the beginning.


That day, X[10] user @alex_orlov_ posted an unpopular opinion guns meme, writing, "How it feels to be woke and dislike the Emily Wilson Odyssey translation," garnering over 3,400 likes in a day. Later that day, X[11] user @jenny2x4 posted, "I frankly do not believe this many of you have read multiple translations of The Odyssey," garnering over 9,600 likes in a day.

On December 30th, X[12] user @Tanya_Sabrinaaa posted, "i actually read the Odyssey in the original greek. complete waste of time, i have no idea what those symbols mean," garnering over 27,000 likes in under a day.

tanya @Tanya Sabrinaaa i actually read the Odyssey in the original greek. complete waste of time, i have no idea what those symbols mean Why does Wilson's translation spark debate? What's lost in modern tran 12:46 AM - Dec 30, 2024 111.6K Views


On December 30th, X[13] user @_Zeets posted a defense for Wilson's translation, explaining how other translations of the poem are only celebrated more highly because they "sound older," not because they're more accurate, garnering over 21,000 likes in under a day. The user goes on to link to a now-deleted thread by Wilson in which she discusses this topic.[14]

Zito @_Zeets Emily Wilson spent years explaining how a lot of the older translations weren't translating the actual poem but riffing off each other only for people to come around because of Nolan and think the other translations are more accurate because they sound "older" 3:06 AM Dec 30, 2024 375.1K Views ...


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[14] ThreadReader – Dr Emily Wilson

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