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HOMER: The Man, the Mystery

HOMER: The Man, the Mystery. He Was Not: This Guy. He Was Not From: This Place. He Might Have Looked Like This:. Or This:. Or This:. And He May Have Inspired People Like This:. But…. Though he wrote a few of the most famous texts in our literary history, very little is know about:

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HOMER: The Man, the Mystery

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  1. HOMER: The Man, the Mystery

  2. He Was Not: This Guy

  3. He Was Not From: This Place

  4. He Might Have Looked Like This:

  5. Or This:

  6. Or This:

  7. And He May Have Inspired People Like This:

  8. But… Though he wrote a few of the most famous texts in our literary history, very little is know about: • Who he was • Where he lived, and • How he came to write The Odyssey and The Iliad HOWEVER…

  9. Scholars Think That He: • Was blind • Composed The Odyssey in the late eighth or early seventh century B.C. • He lived in Ionia, located in eastern Aegean. • Wrote the poems to be sung/performed, but that he did write them down.

  10. So, What is an Epic poem? • A long narrative poem in elevated style presenting characters of high position in adventures forming an organic whole through their relation to a central heroic figure and through their development of episodes important to the history of a nation or race. Examples: • The Divine Comedy • Beowulf • The Iliad • The Odyssey • Epic of Gilgamesh • The Aeneid

  11. In An epic poem… • A larger than life main character (demigods, heroes, etc.) that embodies the ideals of a particular culture or nation—epic struggle/goal • The gods/goddesses intervene in the events/mortal lives • Setting of upheaval/change. Ex. End of Trojan War. • “Epic” in length. Odyssey=24 books • Wide setting—travel spans countries, the time can span decades

  12. An Epic Poem Contains: • Long speeches in elevated/courtly language to recount events and stories in the fashion of bards—written for performance/song • In-medias-res opening (often) • Repetition: epithets—help in both meter form and establishing character “grey eyed Athena” • Epic similes—extended, ornate comparisons using like or as • The invocation of the muses at the start

  13. Homer DID Invoke the Muse/s:

  14. THE MUSES: • Zeus and Mnemosyne (goddess of Memory) • 9 nights=9 muses • Sing of the gods and their deeds—”sing” of the past deeds of a culture • Uphold the arts and sciences • Inspire and summon the memory in the arts • Authors call for inspiration—epic poetry • Homer calls “the muse” and the “muses

  15. THE MUSES • Calliope—epic poetry • Clio—history • Erato—love poetry • Euterpe—music • Melpomen—tragedy • Polyhymnia—hymns • Terpsichore—dance • Thaleia—comedy • Urania--astronomy

  16. MUSES

  17. MUSES

  18. “THE MUSE”: Calliope (ka-lye-a-pee) • Favorite of Homer • Muse of Epic Poetry • Eldest

  19. Invocation: • Calls to the muse to aid the author • Establishes plot • Establishes characters • Establishes theme • Calls to culture/history • Employs literary devices like: epithet and epic simile

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