Category Archives: Poem

rodin and the ancient greeks, & the iliad

Posted on May 20, 2018 by Houyhnhnm

rodin and the ancient greeks i didn’t realise that rodin spent a lot of time in london, and that he kept visiting the british museum to see the elgin marbles and other greek sculpture; it seems (at least according to … Continue reading →

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“McCool” by Aidan Andrew Dun

Posted on February 23, 2013 by Houyhnhnm

With Aidan’s poetry I’m always amazed at what I was trying to get at when writing about Unholyland but didn’t nail. Trying again now, after reading Aidan’s two Middle-Eastern verse epics in the wrong order. What it is is a … Continue reading →

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“Unholyland” by Aidan Andrew Dun

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Houyhnhnm

Another step on Aidan Andrew Dun’s journey towards the poetic recognition he so deserves, and perhaps a major milestone: he now has his name and words fixed in stone at King’s Cross, and has attracted, for the cover of this … Continue reading →

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Tellus Issue 3

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Houyhnhnm

The third issue of Ailsa Hunt’s journal of poetry inspired by the classical world. Brian Walter’s “Metrodorus of Skepsis” introduces (to me) this scholar who famously used 360 regions of the zodiacal sky as mnemonic locations for ‘everything he’d ever … Continue reading →

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Assonance in Catullus and Sister Sledge

Posted on December 4, 2011 by Houyhnhnm

Catullus (poem XI): Furi et Aureli comites Catulli sive in extremos penetrabit Indos litus ut longe resonante Eoa tunditur unda “resonante Eoa” (“with dawn re-echoing”) has that amazing re-echoing vowel sequence (e-o-a) which Michael Brandon showed me all those years … Continue reading →

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President Oidipous

Posted on October 9, 2011 by Houyhnhnm

My children, last in the long line of Kadmos’ descendants, Why have you gathered here before me? What help do you want? The whole city stinks of incense; The whole city rings with chants and prayers. So, my children, I, … Continue reading →

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Claudius

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Houyhnhnm

Under the bed Made Emperor Speechless Thrust upon me Invade somewhere

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