Monday, September 21, 2015
It's Like, You Know, Artemis With Her Arrows . . .
One prominent feature of the Odyssey is the epic or Homeric simile. These similes are long, ornate, detailed and complex and a careful unpacking of them can tell us a lot about the characters and themes of the epic. Chose one epic simile, quote it in full, cite it (book and lines) and explain the significance of the comparison.
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Down I went to the swift ship at the water’s edge,
ReplyDeleteand there on the decks I found my loyal crew
consumed with grief and weeping live warm tears.
But now, as calves in stalls when cows come home,
droves of them herded back from field to farmyard
once they’ve grazed their fill—as all their young calves
come frisking out to meet them, bucking out of their pens,
lowing nonstop, jostling, rushing round their mothers—
so my shipmates there at the sight of my return came pressing round me now, streaming tears,
so deeply moved in their hearts they felt as if
they’d made it back to their own land, their city,
Ithaca’s rocky soil where they were bred and reared.
And through their tears their words went winging home:
‘You’re back again, my king! How thrilled we are—
as if we’d reached our country, Ithaca, at last!
But come, tell us about the fate our comrades met.’ (10.449-65)
There are several inferences that can be made from this epic simile. This part occurs when Odysseus returns from the island of Circe unscathed, unlike his other comrades from before. His crew reacts rather emotionally at the sight of the unharmed Odysseus. In this simile the shipmates are being compared to calves rushing to meet their mothers or in this case, Odysseus. It portrays the rest of the crew as babies devoid of intelligence who need Odysseus simply to survive. This simile also shows him as a cunning, clever leader because he is the only one who returned without any harm as opposed to his comrades who were turned into pigs. The rest of Odysseus’s shipmates seem to be rather stupid. Ithaca is also mentioned here, the home of Odysseus and rest of his crew. Considering how long they have been stranded, returning home would be something that has been long-awaited for all of them. Comparing the sight Odysseus to something as monumental as returning to Ithaca shows how important he is to the crew. The bond between the crew must also very strong also because not only are they happy to see Odysseus, they also want to know what happened to the rest of their comrades. According to this epic simile, Odysseus is the most important figure to the crew, both as a person and for their return home.
“True enough, Calypso the lustrous goddess tried to hold me back, deep in her arching caverns, craving me for a husband. So did Circe, holding me just as warmly in her halls, the bewitching queen of Aeaea keen to have me too. But they never won the heart inside me, never. So nothing is as sweet as a man’s own country, his own parents, even though he’s settled down in some luxurious house, off in a foreign land and far from those who bore him” (Homer 9.33-41). This simile describes the reason why Odysseus declined offers of marriage from beautiful goddesses and queens in exchange for his home, Ithaca, and his wife, Penelope. He clearly states that nothing is better than his own home and family. While in most books a simile that describes this small of a thought would not be important, in The Odyssey it is. This is because the story starts off with Odysseus being trapped on an island longing to go home. Also, multiple times during The Odyssey, Odysseus becomes trapped somewhere with a goddess or queen offering him and his crew a wonderful life if he would return with her to her homeland. One example of many being in book 10 where he and his crew are trapped with Circe. Odysseus asks her to release him and his crew from her island because he longs to go home to Ithaca and be with his wife, Penelope. Overall this simile is very important because it explains Odysseus’s behavior throughout the book.
ReplyDeleteAnd out he stalked
ReplyDeleteAs a mountain lion exultant in his power
Strides through wind and rain and his eyes blaze
And he charges sheep or oxen or chases wild deer
But his hunger drives him on to go for flocks, even
To raid the best- defended homestead.
This epic simile could be considered as an on overall large description of Odysseus through the entire book. In fact, a lion is often used as a comparison to Odysseus multiple times through the story. This epic simile is taken from the part in the book where Odysseus emerges from the bushes in front of Alcinous’ daughter and multiple women in search of help. He is described as a lion, confident and brave even after his large trouble making it to this island. A lion is often depicted with its head held high and its fierce bravery evident to all. This description could commonly also be used to define Odysseus. The animals and flock could be considered all those he has faced during his troubles. Striking them down with his sword or words and moving onward. The flocks are described as groups he has struck. Such as the Trojans, the Cyclops, and in this instance the women he emerges in front of. With no words they run from him in fear of his nudity and presence. From this simile, Odysseus is described for the rest of the book. A lion fierce and ready to strike down those who stand in his way of returning home to his den.
Down I went to the swift ship at the water’s edge,
ReplyDeleteand there on the decks I found my loyal crew
consumed with grief and weeping live warm tears.
But now, as claves in stalls when cows come home,
droves of them herded back from field to farmyard
one they’ve grazed their fill-as all their young calves
come frisking out to meet them, bucking out of their pens,
lowing nonstop, jostling, rushing round their mothers-
so my shipmates there at the sight of my return came
pressing round me now, streaming tears, so deeply moved
in their hearts as they felt as if they’d made it back to their
own land, their city , Ithica’s rocky soil where they were bred and reared. (10.449-61)
The significance in this quote is that Odysseus’s crew looks up to him like a mother. When Odysseus returns from the Island Circe unharmed his crew is so happy that they begin to cry. When the crew is weeping, they are being compared to calves in stalls. When the crew is being compared to calves this relates to them looking up to Odysseus because a calve needs its mother to provide milk for it, and the crew needs Odysseus to guide them to the right direction and to keep them alive. Also, this simile sort of portrays Odysseus’s crew as helpless and alone. When Odysseus returned from the Island Circe his crew was so happy that they felt as if they were back in Ithica. I can’t imagine what his crew would be like if Odysseus didn’t make it. Without Odysseus they have no guide or protector to keep them safe and alive.
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ReplyDelete“Just as an angler poised on a jutting rock flings his treacherous bait on the off shore swell, whips his long rod-hook sheathed in an oxhorn lure-and whisks up little fish he flips on the beach break, whithering, gasping out of their lives . . . so now they writhed, gasping as Scylla swung them up her cliff and there at her cavern’s mouth she bolted them down raw – screaming out, flinging their arms towards me, lost in the mortal struggle…” (book 12, line 271 – 280).
ReplyDeleteHomer is comparing an angler to Scylla. They both wait, with the angler’s bait, or one of Scylla’s head, each of their own deadly way of catching their prey. Then Simile then continues on to say how the whisk their prey up, comparing the angler bring up his fish that he has hooked, or for Scylla, one of Odysseus’s men up on to the cliff. On the opposite side, Odysseus’s men are compared to the fish. Compared to Scylla they are defenseless they can struggle, but their efforts are worthless. Same for a fish as their efforts are in vain. Furthermore, when fish are brought up to the surface, they are struggling to breath, gasping for breath flailing around. The same can be said for Odysseus’s men. When they were brought up, they were gasping, screaming, flailing around, looking for some way out, as if they were a fish just caught. The fish are just a meal that the angler caught as the men are to Scylla.
And out he stalked
ReplyDeleteas a mountain lion exultant in his power
strides through wind and rain and his eyes blaze
and he charges sheep or oxen or chases wild deer
but his hunger drives him to go on for flocks,
even to raid the best-defended homestead.
This is a good epic simile because it is very long and goes into detail about the mountain lion. It describes a powerful mountain lion who is brave, powerful and fearless. The mountain lion hunts and chases sheep, oxen, and deer. The sheep, oxen and deer are all scared of the mountain lion because they are much weaker and more vulnerable than the lion. The lion also somewhat is described and confident, brave, and fearless. Odysseus is being compared to the mountain lion because he is also powerful and brave like the mountain lion. The oxen, sheep, and deer are described as weak, and frightened of the lion who is Odysseus. The girls that see him when he emerges from the bushes are being compared to the oxen, sheep, and deer. They were frightened by his presence and quickly scattered and ran away from him. They girls were like these animals because they were scared of the mountain lion (Odysseus). There are many other examples of this where Odysseus is like the mountain lion. On his long journey he encounters the giant Cyclops. In this case, the Cyclops could actually be the lion and Odysseus could be the ox. This is because the Cyclops was much bigger and stronger than him, but more importantly, Odysseus has the brains. So in that case, either of them could be compared to the lion, it just matter which way it is seen.
“Just as an angler poised on a jutting rock flings his treacherous bait on the off shore swell, whips his long rod-hook sheathed in an oxhorn lure-and whisks up little fish he flips on the beach break, whithering, gasping out of their lives . . . so now they writhed, gasping as Scylla swung them up her cliff and there at her cavern’s mouth she bolted them down raw – screaming out, flinging their arms towards me, lost in the mortal struggle…” (book 12, line 271 – 280).
ReplyDeleteHomer is comparing an angler to Scylla. They both wait, with the angler’s bait, or one of Scylla’s head, each of their own deadly way of catching their prey. Then Simile then continues on to say how the whisk their prey up, comparing the angler bring up his fish that he has hooked, or for Scylla, one of Odysseus’s men up on to the cliff. On the opposite side, Odysseus’s men are compared to the fish. Compared to Scylla they are defenseless they can struggle, but their efforts are worthless. Same for a fish as their efforts are in vain. Furthermore, when fish are brought up to the surface, they are struggling to breath, gasping for breath flailing around. The same can be said for Odysseus’s men. When they were brought up, they were gasping, screaming, flailing around, looking for some way out, as if they were a fish just caught. The fish are just a meal that the angler caught as the men are to Scylla.
“Just as an angler poised on a jutting rock flings his treacherous bait on the off shore swell, whips his long rod-hook sheathed in an oxhorn lure-and whisks up little fish he flips on the beach break, whithering, gasping out of their lives . . . so now they writhed, gasping as Scylla swung them up her cliff and there at her cavern’s mouth she bolted them down raw – screaming out, flinging their arms towards me, lost in the mortal struggle…” (book 12, line 271 – 280). Homer is comparing an angler to Scylla. They both wait, with the angler’s bait, or one of Scylla’s head, each of their own deadly way of catching their prey. Then Simile then continues on to say how the whisk their prey up, comparing the angler bring up his fish that he has hooked, or for Scylla, one of Odysseus’s men up on to the cliff. On the opposite side, Odysseus’s men are compared to the fish. Compared to Scylla they are defenseless they can struggle, but their efforts are worthless. Same for a fish as their efforts are in vain. Furthermore, when fish are brought up to the surface, they are struggling to breath, gasping for breath flailing around. The same can be said for Odysseus’s men. When they were brought up, they were gasping, screaming, flailing around, looking for some way out, as if they were a fish just caught. The fish are just a meal that the angler caught as the men are to Scylla.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJoy… warm as the joy children feel
ReplyDeletewhen they see their father's life dawn again,
one who's lain on a sickbed racked with torment,
wasting away, slowly, under some angry power's onslaught-
Then what joy when the gods deliver him from his pains! (Book 5, pg. 164, line 436-440). This epic simile is comparing a child’s happiness to when a child see’s his or her’s father for the first time in a long time and not knowing if he was even okay or not the whole time. The significance of this comparison is like how Telemachus is awaiting his father’s return, and has absolutely no sign of life from his father at this point. The part in the epic simile where it says, “wasting away, slowly, under some angry power’s onslaught...” (Book 5, pg.164, line 436-440), is basically referring to when Odysseus is stuck on Calypso’s island for 7 years against his will. Also where it says, “one who’s lain on a sickbed racked with torment...”( Book 5, pg.164, line 436-440), is referring to when Calypso forces Odysseus to do things he just doesn’t want to do. Lastly, when Odysseus finally got off the island he felt like he could do anything because he was finally free. In conclusion Odysseus was spoiled on Calypso’s island but the fact he hadn’t been home in so long was why he was so down; and he didn’t have his family or friends with him. So when he left he felt like he was free just how like a happy child who sees his/her father for the first time in a while.
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ReplyDeleteThen when Dawn with her lovely locks brought on
ReplyDeletethe third day, the wind fell in an instant,
all glazed to a dead calm, and Odysseus,
scanning sharply, raised high by a groundswell,
looked up and saw it—landfall, just ahead.
Joy…warm as the joy that children feel
when they see their father's life dawn again,
one who's lain on a sickbed racked with torment,
wasting away, slowly, under some angry power's onslaught—
then what joy when the gods deliver him from his pains!
So warm, Odysseus' joy when he saw that shore, those trees,
as he swam on, anxious to plant his feet on solid ground again. (5.431-442)
When Odysseus is swimming back to Greece from Ogygia, he sights land on the third day of traveling. He then is very happy, as described in this simile. This simile is comparing the happiness Odysseus feels when sighting land to the happiness of children when a gravely ill father returns to good health again. The sick father returning to health is a representation of Odysseus reaching a land near his home after being driven off course and harassed by the gods, then being cloistered away for so many years. Also, as the gods brought the father back to wellness, the gods helped Odysseus escape Ogygia by sending Hermes to the island to tell Calypso that she must release Odysseus; the king must return to Ithaca. The simile is saying that Odysseus was positively elated when seeing land, as the children in the simile are described to be very happy when their father recovers.
Its crackling roots blazed and hissed
ReplyDeleteAs a blacksmith plunges a glowing ax or adze
In an ice-cold bath and the metal screeches steam
And its temper hardens- that the irons strength-
So the eye of the cyclops sizzled round that stake!
This epic simile is comparing a blacksmith cooling hot iron to the stabbing of cyclops eye. Polyphemus, the cyclops, gets stabbed in the eye by Odysseus and his men with a scalding hot stake. It was necessary to stab Polyphemus as he had eaten many of Odysseus men and planned on eating many more. Eyes contain water, and when water comes in touch with a hot surface it sizzles. Consequently, when the iron hot stake touched the water in the cyclops eye it sizzled like a blacksmith cooling his iron. The way the stake looked is also similar to the way a blacksmiths hot iron looks. The stake was glowing as it was being put on fire the way a blacksmiths iron looks when it is in fire. The stabbing of the cyclops is very similar to the actions of a blacksmith. The stake was also prepared in a smiliar way to how iron is melted at a blacksmith. It is put in extremely hot fire and then cooled off with water. However, the water in the odyssey is not regular water, rather the water in the cyclops eye.
That was the song the famous harper sang
ReplyDeleteBut great Odysseus melted into tears,
Running down from his eyes to wet his cheeks. . .
As a woman weeps, her arms flung round her darling husband,
A man who fell in battle, fighting for town and townsmen,
Trying to beat the day of doom from home and children.
Seeing the man go down, dying, gasping for breath,
She clings for dear life, screams and shrills-
But the victors, just behind her,
Digging spear-butts into her back and shoulders,
Drag her off in bondage, yoked to hard labor, pain
And the most heartbreaking torment wastes her cheeks.
So from Odysseus’ eyes ran tears of heartbreak now.
But his weeping went unmarked by all others;
Only Alcinous, sitting close beside him,
Noticed his guest’s tears [.] (8.585-600)
This is a good epic simile because it is great in length and goes into detail of Odysseus’ emotions about the Trojan horse. In the book, Odysseus is with King Alcinous listening to the bard sing songs about different journeys of heroes. This brought back many memories for Odysseus and how he is still not home after a very long and tiring journey. A woman is depicted as being very emotional, just like Odysseus in this simile. Odysseus is being compared to a wife seeing her husband fall in battle fighting for his native land. This is significant because it shows how much Odysseus grieves for his lost comrades. The wife dying is a constant reminder of how Odysseus is still not back to his native land and how much it hurts to remember the war. The tears streaming down the wife’s eyes is precisely like the tears coming down from Odysseus’ eyes while he listens to the song. His quite weeping also shows that Odysseus was still a man of great righteousness, and how he would not want a lot of people to know that he was crying. King Alcinous hears Odysseus cry and immediately calls off the music.
“That was the song the famous harper sang/ but great Odysseus melted into tears,/ running down from his eyes to wet his cheeks…/ as a woman weeps, her arms flung around her darling husband,/ as a man who fell in battle, fighting for town and townsmen,/ trying to beat the day of doom for home and children./ Seeing the man go down, dying, gasping for breath, she clings for dear life, screams and shrills/ but the victors, just behind her,/ digging spear-butts into her back and shoulders,/ drag her off in bondage, yoked to hard labor, pain,/ and the most heartbreaking torment wastes her cheeks./ So from Odysseus’ eyes ran tears of heart break now” (8. 585-97). This epic simile is comparing Odysseus to a woman who witnesses her husband dying in battle. It describes how Odysseus reacts after the bard sang about the wooden horse that Odysseus and the soldiers who fought alongside him in. Odysseus is crying because he thinking back on the Trojan War and the close friends that he had lost. This is a good simile because Odysseus had witnessed some of his closest friends die, and remembering this would was very emotional for him, similar to the woman that the simile describes. As it says in the simile, Odysseus was heartbroken when after he hear the song. This is significant because it shows that Odysseus truly loved, cared, and misses the men who died on the day they all sat together inside of the wooden horse.
ReplyDelete“Just as an angler poised on a jutting rock/
ReplyDeleteflings his treacherous bait in the offshore swell/
whips his long rod—hook sheathed in an oxhorn lure-/
and whisks up little fish he flips on the beach-break, /
writhing, gasping out their lives…so now they writhed, /
gasping as Scylla swung them up her cliff” (12.271-276)
At this part in Book 12, the Homeric simile (epic simile) explains when Odysseus is comparing how Scylla took the crewman off his ship to an angler. An angler is someone who catches fish for a sport rather than for meals. They typically “angle”, catch fish, for technique rather than just sending a line out randomly and getting fish for a meal/living. When comparing this to Scylla, I can infer she has a proper technique she uses to take the 6 crewman off the ship, almost like Scylla has done this before and has had plenty of practice where she succeeds at it every attempt she gets when taking people from their ships. The word choice helps to create the idea that Scylla knows what she is doing rather than making it sound sporadic that Scylla took the men off the ship. The Homeric simile is also comparing how an angler sends his line out to Scylla snatching the men from the boat, for this it helps create the image of a fast seize of men from Odysseus’ ship. The epic simile also compares the reaction of the men being grabbed by Scylla to fish being out of water. It gives the image of the men gasping for air out of terror and squirming to get out of the tight grip of Scylla. Going off of the idea of the men gasping for air from terror, but gasping for air out of the fear of dying, which eventually happens to them.
“That wand in his grip. The powerful giant killer, /
ReplyDeleteswooping down from Pieria, down from the high clear air, /
plunged to the sea and skimmed the waves like a tern /
that down the deadly gulfs of the barren salt swells /
glides and dives for fish, dipping its beating wings in bursts of spray--- /
so Hermes skimmed the crests on endless crests. /
But once he gained that islands worlds apart, /
up from the deep blue sea he climbed to dry land /
and strode on till he reached the spacious cave /
where the nymph with lovely braids had made her home,/
and he found her there inside…” (Book 5, 53-64).
The significance of this simile is that it shows how Hermes is similar to a tern by the way he swooped down and skimmed the waves, gliding over the water looking for fish. He compares this to the way a tern would skim the water looking for fish. This Homeric simile also shows that Hermes is somewhat elegant and agile because he must be agile to swoop down and skim the waves like a tern. Another thing that is of significance is that his looks can be deceiving because it says how he is a powerful giant killer but then directly after saying that it goes on to compare him to a small bird like a tern that is not powerful whatsoever.