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The odyssey significance
Literary elements of realism in the odyssey
Analysis essays on the odyssey
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Homer’s The Odyssey is one of the oldest works of Western literature, second only to Homer’s Iliad. It’s influence on Western culture ranges from the characters and story, to his innovative writing style, characterized by his use of literary devices. Though Homer uses many literary devices in his telling of The Odyssey, epic similes are one of the most vital part of the storytelling. They allow the reader to envision the scene in a different way, comparing it to descriptions that can be vividly imagined in the head.
In the epic poem, The Odyssey, Homer displays vulnerability and human mortality during Odysseus’ journey back home to Ithica. Figurative language is used to do so in the story, among other reasons such as using visualization and helping the audience understand the key points of the story. In The Odyssey, Homer used figurative language to show the audience that humans are vulnerable and completely mortal. In the scene of Polythemus and his cave, figurative language is used to help the audience understand that Odysseus and his men are mortal and vulnerable to the immense cyclopes.
The Odyssey by Homer is an exemplary story that teaches life lessons to those going on a journey for themselves. It illustrates how the challenges and obstacles one may face can help someone become a better leader. The Odyssey highlights one man, Odysseus, a man filled with excessive pride, experiencing the wrath of the god Poseidon. He expects to arrive at his home, Ithaca, safely to reunite with his wife, Penelope, but unfortunately faces many temptations and setbacks. Due to the challenges he faces, it prevents him from arriving home as early as he thought he would.
The pathos and ethos of cultures is often discernable in literary narratives as expressions of the sentiment of approval or disapproval. Thus, the impact of literary narratives on cultures cannot be understated; the arts do impact and influence culture in both positive and negative ways. This is not a new phenomenon and can be observed in cultures as early as 6 Century B.C. and can be traced throughout human history. An example of this can be seen in Homer’s Odyssey, in which there are certain characters within the narrative that portray what is known as “arete.” Arete is viewed as a desirable character trait which some define as the display of perseverance, quick-wittedness, prowess, valor, etc.
The storytelling techniques used in Homer’s The Odyssey are drastically different from those present in Genesis, chapter 22. While Genesis chapter 22 is structured, sequential, and simple, The Odyssey is rich with detail, metaphors, and complexity. In the 22nd chapter of Genesis, God tests Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son.
The odyssey, an epic told by Homer in ancient greece, has many major themes following odysseus’s adventures. While Odysseus is sentenced to never return home after the Trojan War. He is overcoming challenges to return home to his wife penelope and his son Telemachus. Throughout the story major themes of loyalty, hospitality and vengeance are hidden within the plot. The story continues to show his heroic side with three major traits.
While many would argue that the human species officially embarked on the journey to “conquer” nature at the inception of the Industrial Revolution, with men bending nature to suit their purposes on an unprecedented scale, the seeds of such sentiments to surpass nature with created culture had been planted hundreds of thousands of years ago. With a casual overview of human history, one can see that the idea of bending elements of nature to human will rose as early as hundreds of thousands of years ago, perhaps when homo erectus first started cooking food with fire. The idea of the cultural death, the burning of one’s body to prevent one from being consumed by the elements of nature that occupies a most illustrious position in the Homeric world, can be dated back to roughly 20,000 years ago (Lake Mungo remains), the currently earliest recorded act of cremating the dead. Homer frequently juxtaposes aspects of nature and culture in his work. In the Odyssey, Homer juxtaposes the society of Cyclops with the civilized human society, demonstrating the stark differences between a naturalistic and a cultural society.
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.
Though it may seem strange, a poem that is almost 3,000 years old symbolizes the obstacles I will soon face in my life. This epic poem is The Odyssey by Homer. Many believe that the obstacles in this story are not to be taken literally, but that they provide deeper messages or morals. The Odyssey is a perfect allegory for life. When a reader looks at the story at the surface, it seems that it is simply about a Greek man, Odysseus, trying to return home land of Ithaca while he must fight monsters and avoid magical dangers.
The Odyssey would be less memorable without Homer’s masterful use of figurative language. This poem can only stand the test of time when the figurative language is used to help readers relate to the text no matter what time period they come from. Figurative language in the text has made the story as a whole more interesting and has made countless readers engaged by this tale of, in Homer’s own words, “that man skilled in all ways of contending.” (p. 813,
Natural phenomenons is a science, but centuries ago the Greeks believed a deity was responsible for the natural causes that were created. In Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, Odysseus was separated from his wife and son to fight in the Trojan war for 10 years. In addition, spends 11 more years struggling to get back to his family due to these supernaturals caused by the gods. The Greeks portray the gods to be powerful and merciful. They played a huge role in Odysseus’s heroic journey as a savior and tormentor.
Diction and imagery are very important components to a story. It is the way that the author displays their feelings through the character. Homer uses very vivid shifts in tone, sometimes creating room for the reader to learn a lesson. In one of Homer’s famous books, “The Odyssey,” he uses diction, imagery, and tone to show that everything does not always go as planned. Wishing to escape the cyclops’ bondage, Odysseus tries to get out of trouble and assumes that he and his men are safe by lying to the Cyclops.
The Odyssey by Homer is a book that involves the Journey of Odysseus and his men and the Obstacles they come across. The Odyssey portrays many themes including vengeance, hospitality, courage, bravery and more. Odysseus experiences some good and bad during his journey. He comes across people who help him, but also comes across creatures who hold him back. Odysseus is an Epic hero because of his quick thinking skills, bravery, and confidence for himself and his men.
The Epic Hero of The Odyssey The Odyssey is a tale of a great hero trying to get home. An epic hero. An epic hero is a courageous and honorable person. Homer’s character Odysseus exemplifies this in many ways.
Iliad, the epic poem is written by a great epic poet Homer. This poem is a classic in real terms and recounts some historic facts about the last ten years of Trojan war and the Greek siege city of Troy. Tracing back its history, Iliad is thought to be written back in 8th century B.C. and it is considered one of the earliest works in western literary tradition. It captures the scene of blood, abductions, murders, wrath of Achilles, revenge, anger and intervention of gods. The scene of warfare and blood are presented in the poem through oral tradition initially.