Robert Fitzgerald
Robert Fitzgerald
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Robert Fitzgerald was born on December 20, 1910, in Aiken, South Carolina. He is also known as Robbie among friends and family.
Birth and Death Dates
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December 20, 1910 – April 22, 1985
Nationality and Profession(s)
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American poet, translator, critic, and academic
Early Life and Background
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Fitzgerald was born to a prominent Southern family. His grandfather, Robert Toombs Fitzsimmons, was a Confederate general. Growing up in Aiken, South Carolina, Fitzgerald developed a love for literature and poetry. He attended the Choate Rosemary Hall prep school before enrolling at Yale University.
At Yale, Fitzgerald studied English literature and began to develop his skills as a poet and translator. His early life was marked by a strong interest in classical Greek and Latin, which would later influence his work as a translator of Homer's epic poems.
Major Accomplishments
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Fitzgerald's most notable accomplishments include:
Translation of Homer's Iliad (1944) and Odyssey (1958)
First American to translate the complete works of Homer
Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1957
Elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Notable Works or Actions
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Fitzgerald's translations of Homer's epics are considered classics. His version of The Iliad is known for its lyrical language and nuanced understanding of the original Greek text.
As a critic, Fitzgerald was instrumental in introducing American readers to the works of modern European poets, such as T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound. He also translated several other classical texts, including Sophocles' Oedipus Rex.
Impact and Legacy
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Fitzgerald's translations of Homer have had a lasting impact on the literary world. His version of The Iliad is still widely studied in universities today. As a poet and critic, he helped shape American literary tastes during the mid-20th century.
His work as a translator has been praised for its accessibility and fidelity to the original text. Fitzgerald's legacy extends beyond his own writing; he also inspired future generations of translators and poets.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Fitzgerald is widely quoted or remembered due to his contributions to American literature:
His translations of Homer have become iconic in their own right, influencing countless readers and scholars.
As a poet, Fitzgerald explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition, creating works that continue to resonate with audiences today.
* His influence on American literary tastes during the mid-20th century cannot be overstated.
In summary, Robert Fitzgerald was an accomplished poet, translator, critic, and academic who left an indelible mark on American literature.
Quotes by Robert Fitzgerald
What the translator – myself in particular – does is not comparable to what the Homeric performer was doing.
There must of course be a relationship between translating and making poems of your own, but what it is I just don’t know.
I think it was lucky that during most of the work on the Odyssey I lived on Homer’s sea in houses that were, in one case, shaken by the impact of the Mediterranean winter storms on the rocks below.
Homer’s whole language, the language in which he lived, the language that he breathed, because he never saw it, or certainly those who formed his tradition never saw it, in characters on the pages. It was all on the tongue and in the ear.
Electronic brains may help us to use our heads but will not excuse us from that duty, and as to our hearts-cardiograms cannot diagnose what may be most ill about them, or confirm what may be best. The faithful woman and the versatile brave man, the wakeful intelligence open to inspiration or grace-these are still exemplary for our kind, as they always were and always will be.
Yes, and there were changes of light on landscapes and changes of direction of the wind and the force of the wind and weather. That whole scene is too important in Homer to neglect.
What the translator - myself in particular - does is not comparable to what the Homeric performer was doing.
Well, with the French language, which I understood and spoke, however imperfectly, and read in great quantities, at certain times, the matter I suppose was slightly different from either Latin or Greek.