Aristotle says that metaphor causes the mind to experience itself in the act of making a mistake.

Why does tragedy exist? Because you are full of rage. Why are you full of rage? Because you are full of grief.

We're talking about the struggle to drag a thought over from the mush of the unconscious into some kind of grammar, syntax, human sense; every attempt means starting over with language. Starting over with accuracy.

I was more worn out with the "Odyssey" than it was with the "Iliad." I mean, just comparing those two - you can see how it's changing, how the language of the "Iliad" is somehow monstrously new - and that language of the "Odyssey" is more comfortable, even for us.

I never had much education in English poetry as such.

He was trying to fit this Herakles onto the one he knew.

I mean, every thought starts over, so every expression of a thought has to do the same. every accuracy has to be invented... I feel I am blundering in concepts too fine for me.