ipl-logo

How Does Margaret Atwood Use Classical Allusions In Poetry

588 Words3 Pages

Have you read or heard about the Odyssey or the Iliad? Mythology is very provocative and can also sometimes be humdrum, but it is for the most part intriguing. There are also classical allusions in mythology. A classical allusion is a reference to a particular event or character in classical works of literature. Mythology is still expressed today and some still believe it.There are many classical allusions in mythology and some examples would be, Siren Song by Margaret Atwood, An Ancient Gesture by Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Ithaca by Constantine Cavafy. The first example of a classical allusion in mythology is Siren Song by Margaret Atwood. She uses classical allusions in her poem by referencing parts of the Odyssey where Odysseus and his men hear the sirens and Odysseus puts wax in their ears. Atwood’s poem is not about that part of the Odyssey, it is just using idiosyncrasies from it. In her poem it says, “The song that forces men to leap overboard in squadrons even though they see the beached skulls” which is referencing to things that happened in mythology. Her poem is about the actual siren song which was sang by sirens to lure sailors …show more content…

Vincent Millay. In this poem, Millay is referencing Penelope’s sorrow when Odysseus had been gone for innumerable years and she has lost all hope of him being alive. In the poem it sounds like she has had a similar instance happen to her with mention of her doing the same thing Penelope had done. In her poem, it says, “I thought, as I wiped my eyes on the corner of my apron: Penelope did this too” which is indications that something comparable happened to her. The poem though is not about Penelope missing Odysseus, it is about how she is acting the same way as Penelope must have. They both must have been very distraught with this. This is a very sad poem and a good example of a classical allusion in Greek

Show More
Related
521 Words | 3 Pages

The Odyssey by Homer is an epic tale about the Greek hero Odysseus and his adventures back home to Ithaca. With the assumption that he had died, Odysseus’ wife Penelope and son Telemachus face off a group of suitors looking to court Penelope. A major theme found in The Odyssey is the notion of revenge. Additionally, a recurrent literary device—the epic simile—appears throughout the story, wherein comparisons are made in the form of similes, except on a grander scale. Homer utilizes a couple of epic similes in Book XXII to fully substantiate the formidability of Odysseus’ thirst for revenge against the suitors and his traitorous servants through the use of violent imagery.

Read More
77 Words | 1 Pages

The Odyssey written by Homer and the Siren Song, by Margaret Atwood both use imagery, symbolism, different tones and different point of view to depict Sirens. The Odyssey surrounds a man who hears the Sirens song, but uses different tactics to survive it, although the Siren Song is written as if the written is a siren trying to prey on the readers. The difference of narrators tells the story of the Sirens in two very different

Read More
353 Words | 2 Pages

In the “Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood, there is a tremendous use of literary devices to emphasize and create her theme. The theme of the “Siren Song” is one of deception and lies, the speaker talks about how the reader is “unique” (24) and how “only you, only you can” (23) help her. The siren deceives the reader by making him believe that we are the greatest heroes and that only we can save her. The poem is written in the point of view of the siren, this allows the reader to uncover the poem with them which creates a deeper more realistic story. The siren says “will you get me out of this bird suit” (11-12), Atwood’s word choice plays a big part in making the speaking siren sound like a victim that’s trapped in the form of a siren.

Read More
800 Words | 4 Pages

“It's like everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always. All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story.

Read More
396 Words | 2 Pages

In the Odyssey, when Odysseus comes back to Ithaca to retake his throne and his family, he comes disguised as a beggar. He does this to stay hidden from Penelope and to collect information to find a way to get rid of the suitors. In Penelope’s dream, an eagle kills all her geese. The eagle is Odysseus and the geese are the suitors. Penelope’s dream is foreshadowing what is going to happen to the suitors.

Read More
255 Words | 2 Pages

The poem “Sirens Song” alludes to the Sirens of the Odyssey. The Sirens’ portrayal is to deceive as they scheme and seduce men in their direction. The author claims, “The song that forces men to leap overboard in squadrons even though they see beached skulls.” In other words,

Read More
583 Words | 3 Pages

The Odyssey and the poem "Siren Song" both portray sirens ;however, in The Odyssey, the focus is on resolving the "problem" of the sirens, no differently than any other obstacle on his journey, whereas "Siren Song" focuses on the siren as more than merely an obstacle. They share, however, the preying of the siren upon hubris and the desire to be special, as well as, by what happens, illustrating the allure of the sirens in the spite of the pain that may be suffered to get there. The Odyssey initially describes the actions of Odysseus much more than the sirens. The beginning discussion does describe the sirens at all;it merely states that they were approaching the island of the sirens, and then for the first ten lines it does not even begin to consider the sirens.

Read More
620 Words | 3 Pages

The Odyssey, Homer, takes the reader on a man's journey back home after being faced with many struggles for 15 years. Throughout the epic poem, The Odyssey, several examples of epic concepts are shown, such as; epithets, epic similes, and archetypes. Epithets are most commonly seen throughout this epic poem. This is evident because there are many examples of epithets in each book of The Odyssey. For example when the gods and goddesses were discussing Odysseus' fate they used a epithet.

Read More
794 Words | 4 Pages

In Homer’s Poem, The Odyssey, Penelope is the exceptionally patient and clever spouse of the infamous hero, Odysseus, and the mother of Telemachus. One poignant factor of Penelope’s character is her patience and devotion which is displayed throughout the poem. With her husband absent for a great majority of her life for the later of twenty years and his location unknown, Penelope stays, patiently awaiting Odysseus’ return, all whilst preserving their estate and raising her son by herself. Throughout this time, she had many persistent suitors in pursuit of her, abusing her husband’s absence.

Read More
308 Words | 2 Pages

Prometheus The story of Prometheus is classic myth that shows the theme of how there are severe consequences when deceiving someone who has higher authority than you. All myths contain significant elements of mythology. In the Prometheus Myth, it says, ¨He waited patiently, and, unseen by the gods, made his way into Olympus, lighted a hollow torch with a spark from the chariot of the sun, and brought this royal gift to man.¨

Read More
448 Words | 2 Pages

The 1943 novel The Human Comedy alludes to The Odyssey in ways which are both big and obvious, and small and subtle, with each kind having it’s own perks. One does not have to read far into The Human Comedy to see the references and allusions It makes to The Odyssey. Things like Character names and settings make the transition to The Human Comedy with ease and readability. However, not all points in which The Human Comedy alludes to The Odyssey are so shallow. Things like the story’s obstacles and underlying theme for example, are more well hidden and require critical thinking to find, instead of just basic observational skills.

Read More
540 Words | 3 Pages

Nathaniel Hawthorne displays his use of allusions and microcosm throughout his writings through his avid use of mythological, literature, m and biblical references. He relates many of his stories to Adam and Eve and the fall of mankind with the introduction of sin. Many characters, in both Rappaccini’s Daughter and The Birthmark, will relate to a biblical character or a mythological character with how they relate to something or how they act. Hawthorne relates his writings to things that are well know and makes it much easier for the reader to understand or relate to. Some of these examples are displayed in Rappaccini’s Daughter with how the garden and the scientist relate to biblical figures.

Read More
460 Words | 2 Pages

On March 23,1775 Patrick Henry convinced colonists to fight against Britain by using four rhetorical devices which were allusion, imagery, one-word sentences and rhetorical questions. He did this by reading his famous speech called “the Virgina Convention speech”. These four devices helped Patrick Henry convinced many people that were still not willing to go to war. Patrick Henry purpose for using allusion was to helped him connect with the listeners. “Listen to the song of the siren till she transforms us into beast.”

Read More
1083 Words | 5 Pages

“Parting is such sweet sorrow,” William Shakespeare writes in Romeo and Juliet, one of his most famous tragedies, as the two titular leads bid farewell to each other until their next meeting. The sorrow of the two characters are described as a sweet kind of lament, and truly, only those who in love become privileged to experience this sorrow, but is it only sweet because they both know for a fact that their longing will only last until they next lay eyes on each other? Would parting, then, still be as sweet if Romeo and Juliet knew that it would be their final meeting -- that the next night would no longer see the two in love? A piece from his collection of poems, Histories, Charlie Veric’s Parting Time takes the reader through the moments

Read More
700 Words | 3 Pages

Are myths, folktales, or fairy tales still relevant to our society? Myths, Folktales, and Fairytales have all been teaching our society different lessons for a very long time. Many of these stories are parodies because they have been around for such a long time. For example, these stories can be dramatized, but still, have a lesson and these stories can even be turned into a poem. Myths, folktales, and fairy tales are still relevant in our society even if we don’t use them to their full potential.

Read More

More about How Does Margaret Atwood Use Classical Allusions In Poetry

Related Topics

Open Document