The Origin of the Homeric Poems; A Lecture (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: in the poem at suppBO wanderings of Odyss KircUloff8 views - . to SteinthaVs cri i remains ot '' z itschrift mentioned in f e Atertbu1nskunde viewofMuUenhoff'sDeutse rf J in fur d. osterr. Gym-, u particuavs, is io 1872). of KirclihoflTs, hostile ma 1 Odyswe ( ' Duntzer's B-Stoi-ffiSSl The method ot reiuiat Kitcbhoff bases at trjSrasntSretooffma e connection . - sllcli criticisui .-rtiiVi Tnateriftl ioi .-.rtopQivc fa A, to tta of an interpolation caanot be s the reason for it can be pointed out. Since no manifest incongruity, breaking the pure, smooth flow of the poem, can have proceeded from the poet, any such blemish must bo set aside as a clumsy addition, which we shall continue to ascribe to some improvising rhapsode until we get evidence of the existence in the flesh of Kirchhoff 's later reviser. For most interpolations one can imagine a reason, which, however, has nothing more than a greater or less degree of probability in its favor; but the interpolation is an objective fact, and when we consider the arbitrary caprice, obeying only the sudden and often strange suggestion of the moment, manifest in the additions of the rhapsodes, we see the unreasonableness of requiring an explanation of them in every case. It is plain from these and similar expressions, that only those can agree with Diint- zer's criticisms who can be satisfied with arbitrary caprice and strange suggestions of the moment. He finds the safeguard for right decision, in case of interpolations for which an occasion or motive cannot be found, in a full entrance into the spirit of the poet, such as results from a loving but critical following in his steps from sentence to sentence, from speech to speech, from incident to incident; 'when this is done, ...