Melissa Birchfield

Honors 210 B
Dr. Stephen Hinds
November 11, 2018

Honors Portfolio Reflection:

My Time with the Classical Tradition

Prior to this course, I thought that I had a decent understanding of Greek and Roman

classical history. I had read the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Aeneid; studied Latin and some Greek; and

learned about Caesar Augustus, Alexander the Great, Cleopatra, and many other historical figures. I

naively assumed that those components were enough to constitute a classical education. I had no

idea how little I actually knew. Honors 210 B has given me a more comprehensive framework with

which to view the classical tradition and its relevance today. I had not expected the course to focus

so exclusively on poetry, but it allowed me to develop a more vivid, human-centered understanding

of the time period during which each piece was written.

Although I have always enjoyed literature, I had previously never taken a course that

devoted so much attention to the craft of writing. I appreciated that we spent hours analyzing a

single piece of poetry down to the word choices, the subtle techniques, and the allusions to other

myths or texts. This gave me a deeper respect for poetry, which I have always struggled to

understand. For example, I had always viewed extensive ekphrases and name checks as boring

“filler” material that did little to progress the plot. However, now I see that the authors intentionally

included these elements to step outside of the immediate story and reflect on the larger world

beyond.

Throughout the quarter, I have been most struck by the “conversation” of sorts that has

unfolded as writers emulate, expand upon, and compete with each other across cultures and

centuries. This broader perspective has helped me make sense of each text that we studied in class.

I realize now that a piece of writing cannot be examined in isolation; rather, it must be understood
as it fits into the grander scheme of literature production. I am especially struck that modern

writers like Tennyson, Auden, and Heaney still engage with the classical works with undiminished

fervor. They recognize that they can leverage the cultural power of this literature—a power that

never seems to be exhausted. It appears that a classic would not be a classic unless there exists this

kind of constant engagement with its material. It is unfortunate that many readers (myself

included) miss these rich references woven into modern-day literature because they do not have

sufficient background knowledge of the classics.

Now that I am more familiar with the classical tradition, I would like to reread the three epic

poems by Homer and Virgil. I know that I will understand them much better than I did in high

school. I am also going to put Milton’s Paradise Lost on my reading list—I started it a long time ago

but gave up almost immediately, finding myself lost in the jampacked jumble of allusions. Now that

I see how it follows the epic structure, I think it would be easier to read if I tried again. In addition,

this class has piqued my interest in Ovid’s Metamorphoses as well as Elizabethan pastoral poetry; I

would like to investigate these more on my own.

I hope that my exploration of the classics will not stop at simply reading the texts. Following

in the footsteps of countless scholars before me, I plan to apply for a few different study abroad

opportunities in Rome for next summer. I had not realized how common it was to make an

academic “pilgrimage” to Italy, but I too would like a glimpse into the treasure trove of tangible

history, culture, and inspiration that attracts artists and academics alike. I am sure that such a trip

would bring the classical traditions to life as I continue to observe how they are received and

redefined by our modern-day society.