Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Classics and Moderns
Ian's post has me wanting more from John (are you out there?) on the links between Cather and the classics, especially the kinds of close links John saw between her telling of the story in the Hymn to Aphrodite. I myself don't have ready in mind any moderns that tell (Homeric, Hesiodic) classic stories other than what I suspect are others' usual suspects (Joyce, Renault, Kazantzakis, folks more in the "great books" line of things). But to offer a detour or side trip to Ian's query, I would be interested to gather more suggestions here for works that deal with the land, ancient to modern, that could demonstrate a series of more or less ideologically-driven constructions of farm and countryside to compare with Hesiod's treatment of such in Works and Days. I remember from our discussion the Georgics, Letters from an American Farmer, and Wendell Berry's work, but can't now find in my notes any more than that. Any other suggestions would be much appreciated. (I think there might be a course in here somewhere, though I also wonder to whom it might appeal.)
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In my period (Early Modern) I can think of some unteachable things like Drayton's _Polyolbion_ or Spenser's _Shephearde's Calendar_ and some wonderfully teachable stuff like Jonson's "To Penshurst" (and other Country House poems from the period). _As You Like It_ is another good item if you don't mind broadening things to Pastoral. Then there's always Marvell's Mower poems. They teach beautifully. A poem like Corbett's "Farewell Rewards and Fairies" is a good one for connecting politics with labor and landscape. Another possibility for this would be to pair Hesiod with Lovelace's "The Grasshopper" which HAS to be referring to Hesiod! (dibs on the next article on this).
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