Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-17
BOOK REVIEWS.

THE ILIAD OF HOMER. Translated
into English HeXameter Verse by
Prentiss Cummings. Boston: Little
Brown & Co.
VHE question is. why one should
make a translation of the 'Iliad''
with so many of these-some of
them overwhelmingly in eX-
istence. 1t is work to eat up
years-twenty, off and on, in the present
case. The answer must lie i'm the au-
thor's conviction that he, out of some
motive of advantage, can do this better
in certain ways than it has yet been
done. The Introduction, in setting out
purpose and something of plan. includes
most interesting comparison of the me-
chanics of classic and English verse. Here
Is brought again the theory so remark
ably presented by Sidney Lanier that all
verse, classic as well as English. con-
forms more closely in structure to the
system upon which the science of music
Is bull than it does to the exact monot-
ony of the classic norm, fact illustrated
later by the technic of this translation.
The first Of this authors innovations is a
wise abridgment of the ''Iliad' to about
half its original length. The main story,
parts, is retained, but the large burden of
minor and irrelevant matters is discarded
Inc unique feature of the work, however,
lies in the fact that the part presented
Is lifted bodily over into the English. the
author using the original siX-meter verse
as the vehicle of transmission, a thing
not hitherto accomplished TIE made
quacy of the English meter to give the
large and rapid movement OF the 'Iliad''
fmpelled this author to make tie present
Experiment From
fish Had that combines both the thought
and the mod of the Homeric vision An
admirable translation, of high literary
cast controlled throughout by good iudg
ment III the use of material designed to
place modern readers in touch with the
great classic. Its effect as whole is that
of high-fronted professional pageantry.
released from the fretting minor things of
the original.
MAD SHEPHERDS: And Other Human
studies. By l.. =. Jacks. editor of
the HILBERT Journal New York:
Henry Holt & Co.
Among the 400 human beings who
peopled our parish there were two nota-
BILE men and one highly gifted woman"
y shepherd, shoemaker and the rector's
wife make the three who chiefly engage
the interest of this discerning and di-
vining author and artist. With philoso-
- say that two of these are rustic phil
osophers and that the other-as all finely
'ctu1tiVe women are-iS a coSmic one,
means little since 1t Is but a bare con-
clusion. The charm and power and poetry
CT this study lie in the step-by-step way
through which the point is gained This
author, with or without models-more
than likely with them. however-places
three human beings in the simplest of
surroundings, strips them of the swad-
dlinss Of modern impedimenta, and sets
himself to a pleasant and vital compan-
ionship with their hearts and thoughts
1t is amazing what far limits naked
hearts and spirits reach. AS the shepherd
mystic and star-gazer says, eff one can
only get outside his own skim as if
then. and then only vital things uncover
themselves Suppose, now said. that
Snarley 0he shepherd had been able to
express himself after the manner of