Reciting Poetry for Survival

And when things are really tough,

and when they are – if they ever find themselves stranded in the bush,

say in Arnhem Land or in Kakaduus with a crocodile at the foot

of the mangrove,

and they are up the mangrove and the crocodile is at the foot and

there is absolutely nothing for it but to hang on,

and all they can do is think of all the things that they can remember.

You are telling me to shut up. I'm going to shut up in a minute. All they can do is

keep themselves conscious

by reciting all the poetry that they know.

They will not do better than to preserve,

to pickle, to conserve in their brains

forever the greatest classics such as the Iliad, and that is what I do.

So when I'm in trouble, I recite to myself,

Ho ga bazilei kolothis, luson anastraton, usti kakein, ole konto de laoi,

hune katon krusein, atimase naretera, atreides.

Ho, ga,

elthithuas epineas acaeon,

lusomen osti thrugathra,

feron teparesia poina, sceptra teconen kursin, hecibolo apolounos.

Atreides,

teca ala iukne meides acae,

lusaitimoi phileim, cae aglae decthae poina.

Aluk atreides agamemnon ehendamithumo, ala kakos atheae, krataron depimuthon etele.

Mesegeron, koilesen ego paraneus ikikeo,

enyundethu nont ehustoron autiseonta,

menyutoi ukraismei, sceptron cae stemma theoia.

Teimdego, uluso,

prin min cae geras epesin,

heimetero enioiko en arge telothi patres.

Histone poikomenen, cae emon lecos anteosen.

Hosefat,

edraisen tegeron cae apaisito amytho,

beidh acaeon parathina poloflus boia thalassas.

Enth apaneuthitheon polerato geraios,

apolouni anactos ton eocmos tecileto.

Clothimoi agerotox,

hoscluthen anthibabethas.

Smynthu cae tenedoio itheanathois.

Tisae andanoi emodacro soisebelesin. And so on.

I could go on.

That is what you need.