Epic

My first love, and my truest love, is the classical world.  The myths shaped my childish imagination and the art and literature fuelled my education.  The stories are so rich and vivid, and upon reading the words Sing Muse, I am always lifted in spirit eager to enter this ancient and wonderful world.  All books should begin this way.

The Greek myths cannot be beaten in terms of wealth of character and wealth of story.  All human life is explored, without moralising and without dilution.  The gods punish and reward, they fight and control, they make poor choices and mortals must endure the outcomes of their actions.  Allegory is made fun and memorable.  I still think of Demeter losing her daughter Persephone every autumn, when the leaves turn brown and Persephone must return to her husband Hades, and the earth is barren until spring.  I have yet to read a tale of the changing seasons that is more poetic.

At the tender age of 14 I began to truly study classical literature and art.  At 17 I read it for A level and fully indulged myself in this world four times a week for 2 years.  I read Plato and Socrates, I lived the Oresteia (so much so that felt that I had been at Troy), I studied the wonderful art.

In terms of my own writing, I am very attracted to the idea of taking a classical story and spinning my tale around it.  If George Bernard Shaw could get away with it, then so can I.  One scene from the siege of Troy struck me at 17 as the most hopelessly romantic moment possible.  It is the moment that the great hero Achilles mortally wounds Penthesilea, the Amazon Queen. In the thick of battle, he pierces her armour and as she turns to see her killer, their eyes meet and for one awful, glorious moment they fall in love.

 

I am currently re-reading Ovid’s Metamorphoese for inspiration.  Perhaps I can find a section of this poem to use.  I am only in Book 1, so shall have to plough forward purposefully before I lose momentum.  Failing that I can try to do a bodice ripper based around The Odyssey in the vein of Fifty Shades of Grey and make the most of rosy fingered dawn.  Snigger snigger.