Darkness Visible: A Study of Vergil's Aeneid

by W.R. Johnson

One of the best books ever written on one of humanity’s greatest epics, W. R. Johnson’s classic study of Vergil’s Aeneid challenges centuries of received wisdom. Johnson rejects the political and historical reading of the epic as a record of the glorious prehistory of Rome and instead foregrounds Vergil’s enigmatic style and questioning of the heroic myths.

With an approach to the text that is both grounded in scholarship and intensely personal, and in a style both rhetorically elegant and passionate, Johnson offers readings of specific passages that are nuanced and suggestive as he focuses on the “somber and nourishing fictions” in Vergil’s poem. A timeless work of scholarship, Darkness Visible will enthrall classicists as well as students and scholars of the history of criticism—specifically the way in which politics influence modern readings of the classics—and of poetry and literature.

Genres: Classics

191 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

W. R. Johnson is Professor of Classics at the University of Chicago and the author of, among other works, The Idea of Lyric (California 1982).

Reviews

[Keeley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps the mid-century study of the Aeneid which I find most suited to my own take on the poem. I'm not entirely sure Johnson had any clear goal in writing it other than to meditate on the Aeneid, but his observations are nuanced and in large part worth reading.

[Les · Rating 4 out of 5]

Johnson's work truly merits its status as a classic of literary criticism of one of history's greatest epics. I particularly appreciated his side-by-side comparisons of Homer and Apollonius with Vergil to illuminate the differences between the works. He looks closely not only at the language, prosody, and technique, but also at such matters as narrative distancing and the way the Latin poet identifies with his reader or enters into the mind of his characters. Shifting narrative viewpoints in the Aeneid are used to illustrate the darkness and melancholy the work is known for and underlines the power of Virgil's tragic vision. His chapter on the unique time in which the work was written (death of the Republic/the first steps of the Principate) were eye opening.

[Mark Mazelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m giving this book 3 stars because it took about 40 pages before I was really interested in it, only to find that the last chapter would have made more sense if it was the first. It is full of insights but could have been structured better.

[Magnus Lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat disjointed and hard to follow, the points the author argues are good but gets lost a lot

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible essays on one of the most important literary works in Western literature . . .

Whether one likes the Aeneid or not, its central importance to Western literature and history is undeniable. This collection of essays offers some incredible insights into the Aeneid, its predecessors (including but not limited to Homer's works), and its reception and Nachleben . . . I found the insights deeply thought-provoking and in some cases revolutionary in their approach. I would highly recommend this book to anyone doing any serious thinking about the Aeneid and its context.