NOTES
Chapman's Homer:—George Chapman (1559?-1634) was an English poet. He translated Homer from the Greek into English verse.
moly:—An herb with a black root and a white flower, which Hermes gave to Odysseus in order to help him withstand the spell of the witch Circe.
Circe:—A witch who charmed her victims with a drink that she prepared for them, and then changed them into the animals they in character most resembled.
Hermes:—The messenger of the other Greek gods; he was crafty and eloquent.
The wise God:—Hermes, or Mercury.
SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY
Before you try to study this poem carefully, find out something of the story of Ulysses and Circe: when you have this information, the poem will become clear. Notice how the author applies the old Greek tale to the experiences of everyday life. This would be a good poem to memorize.
COLLATERAL READINGS
| On First Looking into Chapman's Homer | John Keats |
| The Strayed Reveller | Matthew Arnold |
| The Wine of Circe | Dante Gabriel Rossetti |
| Tanglewood Tales (Circe's Palace) | Nathaniel Hawthorne |
| Greek Story and Song, pp. 214-225 | A.J. Church |
| The Odyssey, pp. 151-164 (School Ed.) | G.H. Palmer (Trans.) |
| Classic Myths, chapter 24 | C.M. Gayley |
| The Age of Fable, p. 295 | Thomas Bulfinch |
| The Prayer of the Swine to Circe | Austin Dobson |