Lectures on Greek Poetry

The first part of the book is a series of lectures on Greek poetic texts, ranging from the archaic to the pre-Hellenistic age, i.e. from the eighth to the fourth century BC. The main figures as well as their literary setting are discussed. Moreover, important topics determining the literary output are evaluated, too, as, for instance, the opposition between orality and literacy. The second part of the monograph consists of an introduction to Homer’s Iliad. The pervading idea of this part is to show that Homer’s Iliad may well be the work of a single poetic genius, able to include in his work much older and orally conceived parts. This series of lectures provides a selection of classical texts that presents typical examples of Greek poetry. Not only are passages explained and commented on that are relevant to the European poetic tradition, but also a selection of literary analysis and interpretation is provided that may help generally to understand poetic texts. Since literary texts cannot be properly understood without their historical background some basic material of that kind is also constantly provided. Last but not least, broader issues are introduced: how is a text made, and in what way may it reflect the audience’s expectations.