ENGB30H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Long, Long, Long, Dactylic Hexameter, Epic Poetry
Document Summary
Some controversy surrounding if a person named homer actually existed. Generally accepted that he is the oldest author in western literature. Epic poem the iliad generally accepted as the oldest literary work in western history. The iliad: literary form (could also be applied to the odyssey) Written in dactylic hexameter: dactyl, greek: long syllable followed by two short syllables, e(cid:374)glish: stressed sylla(cid:271)le follo(cid:449)ed (cid:271)y t(cid:449)o u(cid:374)stressed sylla(cid:271)les (cid:894)e. g. (cid:862)si(cid:373)ile(cid:863); (cid:862)horri(cid:271)le(cid:863); (cid:862)(cid:271)uffalo(cid:863); (cid:862)odyssey(cid:863)(cid:895, spondee (2 long syllables) substituted frequently to avoid singsong pattern. Sometimes so similar that in different books, there will be sections that are word for word the same as another scene: sacrifice/libation scenes (1. 458-466; 2. 421-429, battle scenes (cid:862)ar(cid:373)i(cid:374)g of the (cid:449)arrior(cid:863) s(cid:272)e(cid:374)es. We did(cid:374)"t start fro(cid:373) the (cid:271)egi(cid:374)(cid:374)i(cid:374)g of the (cid:449)ar, (cid:449)e start i(cid:374) the (cid:373)iddle. Leto: neutrals: thetis and zeus, thetis is a(cid:272)hilleus"s (cid:373)other, does (cid:374)ot care for who wins, but rather how the war could benefit her son.
