Homer-Haunted

Henry Power studied Classics and English at Oxford and then took his PhD at Cambridge. He is now Professor of English Literature at the University of Exeter. He has published widely and his most recent book is an edition of Alexander Pope’s Major Works for Oxford University Press. He is also a regular contributor to publications such as the Times Literary Supplement, Evening Standard and Literary Review, and has appeared as a guest on In Our Time on BBC Radio 4.

This rich embroidery of the British poetic story, from Chapman's Homer to contemporary writers, is a wonder of imaginative scholarship. The reader feels as excited as Keats, 'silent upon a peak of Darien'. We learn much about the British cultural tradition, but also about the immortal genius of Homer himself. Every page is an illuminating joy.

• Note on the TextIntroduction 1. Rebirth: George Chapman 2. Mosaic: Alexander Pope 3. Fragments: Ossian and James Macpherson 4. Discovery: John Keats 5. Fathers and Sons: Matthew Arnold 6. Small Things: Elizabeth Barrett Browning 7. Exile: H.D. (and Ezra Pound) 8. Theft by Finding: Christopher Logue 9. Pleasure-Seeking: Thom Gunn 10. Music: David Melnick 11. Empire: Derek Walcott 12. The Glorious Deeds of Men: Alice Oswald, Sasha Dugdale and A. E. StallingsAfterword: Homer’s Octopus Glossary of Homeric Names Acknowledgements Extract Permissions Further Reading and References Index