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Homer was an oral poet. When he sang the ‘Iliad’ and ‘Odyssey’ he relied on his memory rather than a written text. This method of producing poetry explains some features of Homeric epic, such as repetition, alliteration and metrical patterns. But does it mean that Homer never accommodates sound to sense in the way Virgil does – using fast-moving patterns to imitate speed, repetition of ‘s’ for hissing snakes, and so on? Scholars disagree on the extent to which Homer consciously strove to create with his words and rhythms sound effects relevant to the sense. This lecture, drawing on Homer’s Greek and English translations, will explore the issue.