Emily Wilson

For the day it is today, I would like to pay homage to Emily Wilson.

In particular, her translations of The Iliad and The Odyssey show how demanding it is to make a classic genuinely accessible without lowering its scholarly standard.

Working on classics means making thousands of precise decisions — about rhythm, about tone, about how an ancient line can find its most truthful equivalent in modern English. In her hands, accessibility and rigour are not opposing forces. The poems move with clarity, yet nothing feels simplified.

That balance is built patiently, line after line.

And that kind of work matters.