Education in the United States is under fire. An alliance of conservative politicians, organizations and parents from Florida to Wyoming have sought to curtail and cut entire curricula, especially those that include LGBTQ+ and racial themes. In 2023, the American Library Association reported that it received an unprecedented 1,247 demands to ban library books and other academic resources.
Beyond concerns of censorship and free expression, the debate implicates the future of literary translation and scholarship. Whether that’s a new theory on Gatsby’s race in The Great Gatsby, or a modern adaptation of Hamlet that examines sexual identity, academic disciplines can only advance by engaging and appreciating new interpretations—specifically ones by marginalized voices.
Classicist Emily Wilson Breaks New Ground as First Woman to Translate Homer’s Odyssey
A perhaps unexpected field is having a new breakthrough: classics. An area often associated with elite white men—or simply disregarded or forgotten—has been renewed and diversified by bestselling author Emily Wilson. A passionate translator and professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania, Wilson is the first woman to translate Homer’s The Odyssey from Greek into English in 2018, and the second woman to translate The Illiad in 2023. Wilson’s beautiful, metrical translations in iambic pentameter—in which she makes radical choices that illuminate the intricacies of Homer’s characters—bring a distinct perspective to these ancient poems.
“I’ve spent my whole life with the Homeric epics,” Wilson said in an Esquire interview. “I felt I really did have a vision for how to do it differently.”
Breaking gender barriers to uncover new interpretations, Wilson has disrupted so-called men’s work.
Starting with the very first line of The Odyssey, her take on the leading figure Odysseus is novel. By calling him “complicated,” while previous translations refer to him as “resourceful,” Wilson enables us to imagine a character who makes mistakes, thereby setting the foundation to offer modernized interpretations in the rest of the epic.
In describing Penelope’s hand as “muscular” and “firm” as she picks up a key—and triggers the killing of her suitors—Wilson offers an alternative to the traditional translation, which refers to it as “steady.” In doing so, she highlights Penelope’s “physical competence” and strength, pointing to her culpability in this action.
Wilson’s 2023 rendition of The Iliad is ingenious. In an assessment by The Yale Review, Wilson’s contemporary and unique translation appeals to the senses—she arouses the reader’s eyes and ears with a strict pace and force, while including short clauses and alternating the length of her sentences.
Similar to The Odyssey, the first line of this epic stands out among other English translations. In an attempt to play into the musical effects that stem from the ancient tradition of reading aloud these poems, Wilson writes, “Goddess, sing of the cataclysmic wrath.” The adjective “cataclysmic” is a bold choice—it is harsh, and its sound has a punch to it. Wilson continues to make unique choices as she construes specific words or phrases; her powerful translation fosters readers’ “interpretative curiosity.”
Diversifying the Classics Starts in Primary Education
As a culture, we often emphasize the importance of education, even as we know too well that most of what we read and accept as true comes from scholars of a specific demographic: white, wealthy, educated men. Wilson’s unique translations of Homer’s epics reveal the value of diverse voices in literature. For a high school student like me, such exposure enables more holistic learning, a chance to see the gaps and biases in the legion of translations that I otherwise assumed set the standard.
Classics is both a portal to the ancient world and the foundation of Western literature. More than that, it provides insight into today’s culture, politics and society. Just consider the modern day Julius Caesar analogies that went viral after Trump was shot last month. Only by listening to, reading and valuing different voices—in any discipline—can we uncover new revelations and appreciate a broader, deeper understanding of the world.
Ms. Classroom wants to hear from educators and students being impacted by legislation attacking public education, higher education, gender, race and sexuality studies, activism and social justice in education, and diversity, equity and inclusion programs for our series, ‘Banned! Voices from the Classroom.’ Submit pitches and/or op-eds and reflections (between 500-800 words) to Ms. contributing editor Aviva Dove-Viebahn at adove-viebahn@msmagazine.com. Posts will be accepted on a rolling basis.
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