In a momentous publication,Seamus Heaney's translation of Book VI of the Aeneid,Virgil's epic poem composed sometime between 29 and 19 BC,follows the hero,Aeneas,on his descent into the underworld. In Stepping Stones,a book of interviews conducted by Dennis O'Driscoll,Heaneyacknowledged the importance of the poem to his writing,noting that'there's one Virgilian journey that has indeed been a constant presence,and that is Aeneas's venture into the underworld. The motifs in Book VIhave been in my head for years - the golden bough,Charon's barge,thequest to meet the shade of the father.'In this translation,Heaney employs the same deft handling of the original combined with theimmediacy of language and flawless poetic voice as was on show in histranslation of Beowulf,a reimagining which,in the words of BernardO'Donoghue,brought the ancient poem back to life in'a miraculous mixof the poem's original spirit and Heaney's voice'.
Publisher: Faber & FaberISBN: 9780571327331Number of pages: 64Weight: 85 gDimensions: 200 x 131 x 7 mmEdition: Main
Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney's passing in 2013 robbed the literary world of one of its most profound and learned voices. Born in 1939 in Northern Ireland,Heaney began publishing poetry whilst lecturing in Belfast in the 1960s,later moving to Dublin where he resided under his death.
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