Mar 21– From "The Aeneid" by Virgil (~25BC) translated by John Dryden

Totally accurate to the text.

Mar 21– From The Aeneid by Virgil (~25BC) translated by John Dryden

Summary: Aeneas prepares for war.

Commentary: I'm wondering if I should look into finding an audio version for The Aeneid. My general rule is to read poetry aloud, but 10-15 pages in a bunch is a lot. Reading it out does help stop me from rushing/skimming.

Now night had shed her silver dews around,

And with her sable wings embrac’d the ground,

When love’s fair goddess, anxious for her son,

(New tumults rising, and new wars begun,)

Couch’d with her husband in his golden bed,

With these alluring words invokes his aid;

I feel like no one is ever this comfy in Ill and Odd. Interesting to see the differences.

Virgil/ Aeneas is pretty bitter about the whole losing the Trojan war thing, it's all "lesser race" and undeserved grace, etc. etc.

Going back to the above, I like how The Aen (that doesn't work as well as The Ill and The Odd) handles more everyday matters, but keeps the epic tone of its inspirations. 

The time when early housewives leave the bed;

When living embers on the hearth they spread,

Supply the lamp, and call the maids to rise;—

With yawning mouths, and with half-open’d eyes,

They ply the distaff by the winking light,

And to their daily labour add the night:

Thus frugally they earn their children’s bread,

And uncorrupted keep the nuptial bed—

 On the other hand, it does move a lot slower. I feel like this whole selection would've been like 3 pages in The Iliad, and it gets kind of repetitive at times (not that The Iliad doesn't too.)