An Examination of Similes in the Iliad - and How Homers...

An Examination of Similes in the Iliad - and how Homers Use of Them Affected the Story In the Iliad, Homer finds a great tool in the simile. Just by opening the book in a random place the reader is undoubtedly faced with one, or within a few pages. Homer seems to use everyday activities, at least for the audience, his fellow Greeks, in these similes nearly exclusively. When one is confronted with a situation that is familiar, one is more likely to put aside contemplating the topic and simply inject those known feelings. This would definitely be an effective tactic when used upon the people of Homers day. From the heroic efforts in the Iliad itself it is clear that the populace of his time were highly emotional creatures,†¦show more content†¦This is a wonderful simile that brings home the nervous twitchiness that would denote a person scared to death in such a situation. Later in Book Five there is a great dichotomy of similes. First, Hera comes down flying like turtledoves in eagerness to help the Argives. followed by a scene surrounding Diomedes where hi s men are fighting like lions or wild boars. Both of these have their own respective importance. There is probably no more revered avian for peace and beauty than the turtledove, and applying this to Hera shows where her intentions lie. While lions and boars are notoriously vicious creatures, sure to raise a hackle or two on a Greek reader, and when exercised on Diomedes it brings their ferocity home. The interesting thing here is the contrast between the two. This is another example of how the Greeks are made to look like animals. In Book Ten Nestor comments on a set of horses that Odysseus is ushering, won by Diomedes through killing some Trojans, that they are like sunbeams. A very short, and odd, description for horses. One is reminded of Apollo and his kinship with his chariot, often referred to as racing across the heavens. The thought of golden horses gliding straight and true, unwavering, is most definitely an image depicting the eliteness of these thoroughbreds. Shortly after Agamemnon dons his armor. On this armor fit for a king were serpents of Cyanus that appeared like the rainbows which were set inShow MoreRelatedSimiles in Homers Iliad Essay1866 Words   |  8 Pages An Examination of Similes in the Iliad - and how Homers Use of Them Affected the Story In the Iliad, Homer finds a great tool in the simile. Just by opening the book in a random place the reader is undoubtedly faced with one, or within a few pages. Homer seems to use everyday activities, at least for the audience, his fellow Greeks, in these similes nearly exclusively. When one is confronted with a situation that is familiar, one is more likely to put aside contemplating the topic and simplyRead MoreComparing Sappho s Poem, Tell Me, Oh Muse1831 Words   |  8 Pagesexisting from the scant remaining fragments of her work. In her â€Å"Ode to Aphrodite,† she appeals: â€Å"Immortal Aphrodite of the shimmering throne†¦come hither† (Sappho, Loc. 30), echoing Homer’s famous â€Å"Tell me, oh Muse† (Homer, The Odyssey 36), and â€Å"Sing, O goddess, the destructive wrath of Achilles† (Homer, The Iliad 3). And, from what scholars have been able to glean from ancient texts, a woman such as Sappho, wealthy and relatively well-educated (Prentice 348), would have heard recitations of those