| RefNo | HSF/1/1/12 |
| Previous numbers | 600/31/59 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Letter from W [William] Whewell, Trin[ity] Lodge, [Cambridge], to [Sir John Frederick William Herschel] |
| Creator | Whewell; William (1794-1866); British mathematician |
| Date | 3 February 1864 |
| Description | Discusses the English hexameters in Herschel's translation of 'The Iliad'; he thinks that the unaccented syllables should not be too long, nor the accented syllables too short, which makes the verse feeble. He will note some of Herschel's lines which seem capable of improvement and anything else that occurs to him. Whewell gives line by line advice, commencing from line 25 of Herschel's latest text from Book 4 [with occasional pencil retorts by Herschel?]. Whewell continues with more general comments on Book 4 of 'The Iliad', noting rough sections which would need to be softened. He comments that he is making criticisms, but mere trifles, as he continues to admire the translation as the best hexameter version he has seen. He asks if Herschel has seen how [Alfred] Tennyson speaks of him in his recent volume of poems, believing that 'he is still labouring under the old blunder about English hexameters'. Herschel should not make fun of his own work by speaking of 'frogs and croaks' as this will encourage the ignorant who believe that English hexameters are funny. |
| Extent | 4p. |
| Format | Manuscript |
| PhysicalDescription | Ink on paper |
| AccessStatus | Open |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA6578 | Whewell; William (1794 - 1866); college head and writer on the history and philosophy of science | 1794 - 1866 |