The Odyssey

Though scholarship cannot tell us whether The Odyssey and The Iliad were composed by a single poet or orally improvised by many over hundreds of years, the majestic yet natural Homeric voice can still be heard in the ancient Greek text. With an exquisite ear, Charles Stein gives us a new translation of The Odyssey that navigates the subtle currents of Homer's verse, making use of poetic possibilities discovered by Ezra Pound and developed by Charles Olson and others, while drawing on his own fifty years of poetic practice. Stein's translation is eminently accessible and verbally alive yet maintains the specific dignity of Homeric song. It avoids the fatal excesses of either exalted remoteness or chatty condescension, which can distance modern readers from the living continuum of the epic tradition.
Stein's approach allows the reader to experience a unique intimacy with the psychological intricacies and magical depth of the Homeric world. Were Homer able to communicate directly with us in English, he could do no better than to sing in the poetic language of Stein's masterful rendition. This translation includes an informative introduction prepared especially for readers new to Homer, as well as a helpful glossary of proper names.

A second-generation Black Mountain poet, Charles Stein has spent almost fifty years writing and translating poetry. Often associated with Charles Olson, Robert Duncan, and others, he is also the author of Persephone Unveiled. He lives in Barrytown, NY.