Green writes in a verse that holds fairly close to the Greek line count, with long, densely packed lines that carry multiple stresses. Johnston uses free verse with shorter, more variable lines and a contemporary register. In the opening passage, Green gives "calamitous wrath, which hit the Achaians with countless ills," where "hit" lands with blunt force, while Johnston writes "that murderous anger which condemned Achaeans," choosing a word that carries legal and moral weight. In the Book 21 passage, Green keeps "Can't you see what I'm like, how handsome and tall I am?" as a single rushing question; Johnston breaks it into "You see how fine I am, / how tall, how handsome?" and the shorter lines slow the reader down. Green's diction sits closer to formal literary English without reaching for archaism. Johnston's reads more plainly. Green's translation shows strong investment in the Greek word order and sound patterns. He preserves the epithet "silver-footed Thetis the goddess" in Book 9 and keeps the Greek habit of stacking clauses, which gives his lines density. Johnston reorganizes for clarity: "My goddess mother, silver-footed Thetis" puts the relationship first. In the leaves passage (Book 6), Green follows the Greek more tightly with "the fertile woodland grows others as spring returns in season," where Johnston cuts to "the budding wood grows more." Johnston gains readability and drops readers straight into the sense. Green keeps more of the texture of the original's phrasing, which means his lines ask more of the reader. Johnston's version is easier to move through quickly. Both carry the full content of the passage.
Wrath, goddess, sing of Achilles Pēleus's son's
calamitous wrath, which hit the Achaians with countless ills—
many the valiant souls it saw off down to Hādēs,
souls of heroes, their selves1 left as carrion for dogs
and all birds of prey, and the plan of Zeus was fulfilled
from the first moment those two men parted in fury,
Atreus's son, king of men, and the godlike Achilles.
Sing, Goddess, sing the rage of Achilles, son of Peleus—
that murderous anger which condemned Achaeans
to countless agonies and threw many warrior souls
deep into Hades, leaving their dead bodies
carrion food for dogs and birds—
all in fulfilment of the will of Zeus.