Homer, Sentimentalism, and Pope's Translation of The Iliad

Abstract

Scholars have long characterized sentimentalism and classicism as antithetical literary traditions. Yet eighteenth-century responses to Homer reveal that the Greek poet provided an important paradigm for the developing sentimental movement. A close examination of Pope's translation of the Iliad confirms the implications of these findings. By comparing Pope's version with earlier English translations, we can highlight the sentimentality of his characters, correcting the misguided notion that he sapped the epic of its emotional intensity. More generally, this analysis demonstrates the ability of the classical tradition and sentimentalism to cross-pollinate one another, refreshing the expressive possibilities available to both.