Johnston writes in free verse with flexible line lengths and a contemporary, conversational register. His lines move quickly, and he often compresses the Greek. In the Book 21 passage, he gives Achilles the plain, blunt phrase "you too must die," which reads as direct speech, something close to how an angry person actually talks. Merrill works in dactylic hexameter, the meter of the Greek original, producing longer lines with a pronounced rhythmic pattern. His version of the same moment reads "No, friend, you die also, and why in this way are you moaning," which is more ceremonial and keeps closer to the Greek word order. Johnston's diction is accessible; Merrill's is formal without being archaic in the manner of nineteenth-century translations. Merrill prioritizes fidelity to the Greek line structure and meter, carrying over the repetitions and epithets that Homer uses. In the Achilles fate speech (Book 9), he translates the repeated "lost is" construction on two successive lines, which matches the Greek's deliberate rhetorical balance. Johnston removes that parallelism, producing smoother English at the cost of the pattern. Merrill's hexameter is a scholarly and performative choice, aimed at readers who want to feel the poem's formal architecture. Johnston's version is for readers who want the story and characters to come through without the friction of an unfamiliar meter. Each prioritizes something real, and each pays a cost: Merrill's lines can feel heavy; Johnston's can feel thin compared to the Greek's density.
Sing, Goddess, sing the rage of Achilles, son of Peleus—
that murderous anger which condemned Achaeans
to countless agonies and threw many warrior souls
deep into Hades, leaving their dead bodies
carrion food for dogs and birds—
all in fulfilment of the will of Zeus.
Sing now, goddess, the wrath of Achilles the scion of Peleus,
ruinous rage which brought the Achaians uncounted afflictions;
many the powerful souls it sent to the dwelling of Hades,
those of the heroes, and spoil for the dogs it made of their bodies,
plunder for all of the birds, and the purpose of Zeus was accomplished—
sing from the time when first stood hostile, starting the conflict,
Atreus' scion, the lord of the people, and noble Achilles.