Hearing Homer's Song

This biography explores the life of Milman Parry, a pivotal twentieth-century classical scholar who revolutionized the understanding of ancient epic poetry. Parry's groundbreaking hypothesis proposed that the Iliad and the Odyssey originated from an oral tradition, a theory that profoundly impacted literary studies. The book traces his journey from childhood to his academic career at Harvard and his research in Yugoslavia, where he sought to prove his theories by studying contemporary oral epic singers. It also examines the circumstances surrounding his early death and the lasting legacy of his work, which continues to influence diverse fields from Beowulf to jazz improvisation.