This is a hard book to rate. On the one hand, I enjoy Marlowe's work. On the other, his translations of Ovid's elegies take up most of the book, and, since I'm not as well-versed in the classics as I could be, I could not understand much of the content without looking up supplemental information. The fault there, of course, would lie with me and not Marlowe. ( )

[Christopher Marlowe: The Complete Poems and Translations], Edited by Stephen Orgel
It is good to have all Christopher Marlowe's poetry in one place in modern English spelling, but the books title is misleading for the casual reader. The majority of the poetry on show here are translations and not all of it by Marlowe. Of course it cannot be helped that there is not that much orignal poetry available by Marlowe but it would have not extended the editor too much to provide a more fuller introduction. Carping aside I am glad to have this book if only for the wonderful Hero and Leander and perhaps for a few of the translations of Ovid's elegies.

Hero and Leander is an original poem in epic style sourced from the Greek legend of the same name. Hero and Leander were young lovers living on either side of the Hellespont (a narrow stretch of water which separates Europe from Asia. Hero has made a vow of chastity to the Gods, but is seduced by Leander who lives across the water, Hero lives in a tower and lights a lamp to guide Leander who swims the Hellespont. On his first journey he is almost drowned by the sea god Neptune who seems to be in love with the handsome youth, but in the end offers him protection. Leander breaks down Hero's defences and the lovers enjoy a night of bliss. At this point Marlowe's poem ends but the legend goes on to present a rather different moral. Leander swims the Hellespont many times during the summer months, but one night is caught in a storm and drowns, Hero discovers his body and throws herself off the tower to be at one with her lover.

Marlowe was the bad boy of Elizabethan literature accused of being an atheist, and sodomite, suspected of spying as a double agent and certainly in trouble for street brawling. No surprise then that he should choose a pagan legend at a time when Puritan tracts and the movement against the Libertines was well underway. The poem was published in 1598 with the second part of the legend completed by George Chapman, but it is not certain when Marlowe wrote the first part or when it was circulated in manuscript form. It obviously must have been before his murder in 1593 and could have been as early as 1587. At a time when poets were publishing carefully controlled sonnet sequences, Marlowe's semi heroic epic in rhyming couplets in iambic pentameters and with an erotic charge would have once again pointed to his rebellious nature. The fact that he stopped his poem at the point of the celebration of carnal love rather than carry on through to the death of the lovers shows where his interest lay. George Chapmans continuation of the poem is included in the book: Here is Marlowe nearing the end of his poem:

She trembling strove; this strife of hers (like that
Which made the world) another world begat
Of unknown joy. Treason was in her thought,
And cunningly to yield herself she sought.
Seeming not won, yet won she was at length,
In such wars women use but half their strength.
Leander now, like Theban Hercules,
Entered the orchard of th’ Hesperides,
Whose fruit none rightly can describe but he
That pulls or shakes it from the golden tree.
And now she wished this night were never done,.............

It is generally thought that Marlowe's translation of Ovid's Amores (Elegies) was completed at a much earlier date, probably while he was still studying at University. The subject again is love, but this time more in line with contemporary sonnet sequences. Ovid's Amores celebrates his love for Corinne, but she was no chaste young woman faithful to her husband and Marlowe seems to be at home with his translation of the poets complaint and then final acceptance of a woman like Corinne. There are nearly fifty poems condensed into three books, but the quality of the poetry is variable.

Included also is Marlowe's line by line translation of book one of Lucan's Pharsalla and the short poem/song 'The Passionate Shepherd To His Love;

A mixed bag then, but fairly essential to anyone who wants to get a fuller picture of the wordsmith who was Christopher Marlowe. 3.5 stars. ( )

Luminarium and Wikipedia