Caroline Alexander and Emily Wilson offer distinct translations of Homer’s Iliad, each with unique stylistic choices and emphases. Alexander's translation is slightly more formal and maintains a tone that echoes the epic's original solemnity. Her rendering of the opening invokes a "ruinous wrath" and describes the ensuing devastation in an elevated style, which is characteristic of her approach throughout the text. For example, in her portrayal of Achilles contemplating his fate in Book 9, she uses direct yet profound language to convey the hero's internal conflict between long life and eternal glory. Similarly, Alexander employs vivid imagery when describing human mortality in Book 6, likening generations of men to the seasonal cycle of leaves—a metaphor that captures the fleeting nature of life with a touch of grandeur. On the other hand, Emily Wilson adopts a more contemporary and accessible approach. Her translation opens with a reference to "cataclysmic wrath," which is direct yet impactful, in a way that grounds the epic’s themes in modern sensibilities. Wilson's language is clear and evocative and often more straightforward than Alexander's. Her translation of the speech from Athena to Diomedes in Book 5 is concise, using conversational language that makes divine interactions feel immediate and relatable. In Book 21, her version of Achilles' stoic acceptance of fate is similarly straightforward, conveying depth through simplicity and clarity. Both translations retain the essential spirit of the Iliad while offering different reading experiences: Alexander’s epic is resonant and formal, while Wilson’s is vivid and immediate.
Wrath—sing, goddess, of the ruinous wrath of Peleus' son Achilles,
that inflicted woes without number upon the Achaeans,
hurled forth to Hades many strong souls of warriors
and rendered their bodies prey for the dogs,
for all birds, and the will of Zeus was accomplished;
sing from when they two first stood in conflict—
Atreus' son, lord of men, and godlike Achilles.
Goddess, sing of the cataclysmic wrath
of great Achilles, son of Peleus,
which caused the Greeks immeasurable pain
and sent so many noble souls of heroes
to Hades, and made men the spoils of dogs,
a banquet for the birds, and so the plan
of Zeus unfolded—starting with the conflict
between great Agamemnon, lord of men,
and glorious Achilles.