CI Poetry Project

A purple ball: on Eros and Aphrodite, Art swifter than the wind: on athletes and contests, CI Poetry Project, Recomposing Heroes

The Charioteer: two poems by Agathi Dimitrouka

Translated by Natasha Bershadsky Hippolytus and Phaedra To Gregory Nagy narration Hippolytus, young, beautiful and modest, son of Theseus and some Amazon, was devoted to Artemis, scorning Aphrodite. The offended goddess of love inspired in Phaedra, his stepmother, a vehement passion for him: she used to go… Read more

CI Poetry Project

Reading late: Anabasis, three poems by Ishion Hutchinson

The Wanderer Still clear from its very first shout, ‘Thalatta! Thalatta!’ is the clamour every wave brings, 10, 000 voices arched into one, shaking the mountain clouds down to mist, power they sing, spitting salt into flames, to outlast the memory of those who toiled with the mongoose and snake,… Read more

A purple ball: on Eros and Aphrodite, CI Poetry Project

Death of a Faun, by William Wootten

Hark at the shepherdess! Then note her unbelievable distress On finding how her much loved faun is dead. She listened as the shepherds said Her faun was mostly goat. In her lap, she cradled the cut throat And the horned head. She would have cut the shepherds’ throats instead.                           … Read more

CI Poetry Project

Chorus of the Birds, by Paul Muldoon

From The Birds by Aristophanes Image by Duncan Cameron (@brokensharkcage) CHORUS: Dearest one, we love the dun of your coat, your reddish throat, you who are first flute of the forest. Let your voice ring out to Spring that it may be heard over the chorus of birds. Read more

A purple ball: on Eros and Aphrodite, CI Poetry Project

Leaning in, by Rachel Hadas

Translated to Greek by George Chaldezos   Students all too commonly misconstrue the poem in which Sappho calls that man equal to a god who, opposite you, leans in and      whispers, etcetera,   tending to assume it’s about two people: speaker/loved one? Beloved and man near her, bending… Read more

CI Poetry Project

Three poems by Vassilis Vassilikos

Translated by George Chaldezos & Nick Fielding I CHILDHOOD MEMORY Mattresses to mend! Mattresses to mend! Bow on his back, he roamed the streets. Suyulu, Five-Hundreds, Ay-Yanni.* Cheerfully he looked at me, a little lad looking at him, an archery victor at an… Read more