Structurally, Walcott creolizes the epic genre and makes it his own. Homeric epics deal with battles and honor, which reflects the culture of the Ancient Greeks. Walcott is doing the same; he is reflecting the experience of the new empowered people of the receding empire and telling the struggle of his own tribe. The reader often comes across a reference that resonates with something read in the classic epics, and it would be unfair for Walcott to expect the reader to refrain from these associations and allusions made in the text. By Walcott expressing the struggles for identity in the Caribbean in Omeros, he is also expressing the hybridity of the islands by these associations. The names Walcott decides to use in his epic does not only draw from Homeric works, but it represents the colonial space where slave owners would give their slaves names from their homelands. This mirrors the Caribbean, as it too is a collection of associations rather than a completely whole culture. Walcott is among many others, such as Virgil and James Joyce, who have adapted the classic epics. Classically, an epic is usually a long narrative poem, on a serious subject, and centers on a hero who takes on a larger than life persona. There are also some other indications such as an opening in media res, an invocation to the Muse, concerns with the fate of a nation, extended similes, divine intervention, and at times a visit to the underworld. Walcott’s Omeros has some of these elements and is separated into seven books containing sixty-four chapters. The two opening and closing books are set in St. Lucia, books three through five encompass African, European, and North American influences that fuse in the Caribbean and island of St. Lucia. Each ... ... middle of paper ... ...nts of the cultural ritualistic ceremonies that have survived in St. Lucia. Walcott shows how his epic is different from the traditional epic and writes: This was the shout on which each odyssey pivots, that silent cry for a reef, or familiar bird, not the outcry of battle, not the tangled plots of a fishnet, but when a wave rhythms with one’s grave, a canoe with a coffin, once that parallel is crossed, and cancels the line of master and slave… And I’m homing with him, Homeros, my nigger, My captain, his breastplates bursting with happiness! (30.2.7-17) It is the landscape and Achille has found his happiness and appreciates the only home he knows and what ties him to this homeland. Walcott has taken the frame of the epic and given the Caribbean voice and struggle. Works Cited Walcott, Derek. Omeros. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1991. Print.
The definition of an epic hero can be defined as one who is triumphant in some manner that reflects the idea of his/her culture. “Heroes have always dominated mythology, fairy tales, nursery rhymes, history, and literature. No culture seems to lack tales of human, superhuman, or god-like heroes who save the innocent from the wicked, conquer evil, and deliver the threatened and oppressed” (Shunnaq). Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali and The Odyssey can be compared and contrasted in different ways. Both of these literary pieces are epics that contain heroes who precisely mirror the values of their respective ethnicities. While some values displayed in the epics are similar to each other, there are also disagreeing values between the two pieces of literature. Based on the examples from Nian’s Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali and Homer’s The Odyssey, the similarities and differences can easily be identified by one.
His initial view is conveyed through the comparison between the Modern World and the Aztec world. The positive imagery of “passing under trees filled with birds” describes the free, peaceful and safe nature of the modern world through the symbolism of birds living in freedom and not locked up in a cage. This is contrasted with the metaphor of “He detached himself almost physically from the nightmare” when referring to the Aztec world shows that it is an unsafe and violent due to the world being described in negative connotations by the protagonist. However he realises that this peaceful world that he lived in was only his imagination. The realisation of his true reality occurs through the imagery of “He realised he was running in pitch darkness…the sky crisscrossed with treetops was less black than the rest” of the Aztec world. Coupled with the motif of smell in his dreams shown through “it was a curious dream because it was full of smells and he never dreamed smells” also reflects the idea that his real world is the Aztec world. The depth of description when describing his dream and the use
Similar to an elaborate dish, a literary genre consists of multiple necessary “ingredients,” called epic conventions, which classify a text into a particular category. Homer follows an impeccable recipe in his magnificent work. Labeled as an epic, The Odyssey by Homer portrays the Greek hero Odysseus years after his victory in the Trojan War and his awaited journey back to Ithaca. As the plot develops it is evident it is no effortless feat for our hero to return home. The godly Odysseus encounters adversities in the forms of Cyclops, sea monsters, alluring flowers and formidable Greek gods with varying conceptions of him. These characteristics distinguish the Odyssey and its episodes as an epic and bestow Odysseus with the title of an epic
Sometimes the beauty of it seems unreal…” She then goes on to describe its beauty like the clouds couldn’t be any whiter, or how the darkness fades, and the gorgeous sunshine surrounds them all the time. This explanation is capped off by her statement, “And what might it do to the ordinary people who live in this way…what might it do to them to live such heightened, intense surroundings day after day?” I agree with her explanation about Antigua being too beautiful, and how the people who live there, nothing can compare to it, even when they are treated poorly for so
The epic The Odyssey is about a hero named Odysseus that must go through many life threatening situations in order to return to his loving family. Odysseus undergoes many trials and obstacles in the form of mythological beasts that stand in the way of arriving home. All of the archetypes that show up in Ancient Greek culture are very similar to the ones that appear in modern times. The Odyssey takes place in the twelfth century B.C where its plot setting stretches from the Aegean and surrounding seas to his birthplace of Ithaca. This epic is an example in which its main story is covered by what writers base their characters off of today:archetypes. Homer wrote The Odyssey to get readers excited to learn about the archetypes that relate to the
Since the beginning of time epic tales have been passed on from generation to generation as a form of entertainment. Even though each epic is different in its plot, every epic has certain features in common. The prime example of their similarities is their main character, the hero of the epic. The hero's behavior changes from the beginning to the end of the tale. Since the plot revolves around the epic hero, in most cases, they are made to seem God-like, or larger then life, in their capabilities and strengths. The hero constantly has to conquer major obstacles to achieve their initial and final goal. Usually the hero is tremendously suspicious of other characters intensions. Also, this character usually demonstrates examples of hubris throughout the tale, which ultimately makes his journey more difficult. The epic heroes differences vary but in the epic tale, The Odyssey written by Homer, and the Greek drama, Oedipus The King written by Sophocles, the differences is what makes Oedipus fail and Odysseus succeed. In both these tales, the powerful gods enormously affect their decisions and the consequences they eventually have to face.
"No man is an Island, entire of himself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the Main."
Although both epics justify a status quo, codify a national mythology, preserve cultural memories, and establish literary tropes, they are united by sensibility and are traditionally poetic. They both almost have the same exact core values such as in the end, but project influence into a number to areas of cultural identity. Once more, after analyzing both texts, it is possible to conclude that Aeneas is the better leader, and The Odyssey is the greater epic. Knowing that this is the proper proposition made, this affects the readers of both well-known stories.
Imagery of all kinds is abundant in this passage as Meursault, the main character, pays great attention to and describes in detail the beach environment that surrounds him. Visual imagery is present as he conveys the intense heat by telling how it seemed as though the sky had cracked open and was raining flame, and by personifying the ocean, recounting how it breathed blistering hot air onto the beach.
Archetypes can be enforced by using symbols, a pattern, a characteristic, a certain idea or theme, or an image of some kind. They can also be conveyed in dreams, literature, religion, folklore, fantasies, and myths. There are a total of six archetypal groups including: symbolic, character, situational, heroic, and characteristics of the hero’s journey. Within the epic poem, a lengthy poem that portrays a story of a certain hero’s tasks, of Beowulf, originally written by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet and translated by R.M Liuzza, effectively portrays many differing archetypal groups. Furthermore, the work of the anonymous poet who created the marvelous epic poem by the name of Beowulf illustrates broadened examples of
Although Tennyson’s use of landscape indeed creates a strong vivid impression, I feel that it also serves a higher purpose: namely, to express the psychological state and mood depicted in the protagonists of the poems.
This powerful epic poem reaches greatness on many levels. It is a poem which expresses the Homeric tradition of a classic epic work. However, interpreting Omeros as simply a modern day version of the Iliad or Odyssey takes away from the greatness of this work. Not only does Walcott borrow and play off ideas and themes expressed by Homer, but he brings his own life experience into the story and makes it part of the tradition. The way which Walcott uses Omeros to tell a great deal of the history of his native island of St. Lucia is remarkable. Walcott’s writing and telling of this epic poem is a credit to his heritage, homeland, and the classical tradition, and show that the epicpoem is still an outstanding work of art when used by a masterful writer such as DerekWalcott.
The article equips the reader with the tools needed to better understand other cultures, in terms of their own beliefs and rituals. Miner’s original approach does create a certain level of confusion that forces the reader to critically evaluate his purpose. “Body Ritual among the Nacirema” by Horace Miner ultimately brings people together, by illuminating the eccentricities present in all
To conclude, there are two main opposing representations and aspects of home presented in this poem, from what is seen as the "norm", the narrators life on land, to the "favoured", the narrators life at sea. Home is irrevocably linked to lifestyle and should not just be where the heart is,(though there is a sense that our "Heart's fulfilment" is important) but should more importantly be a place where we can live a life that will bring us towards heaven, which the poem portrays as our eternal home. The Seafarer is a poem which urges us to carefully "consider where we possess our home, and then think how we com thither."
The Polynesian peoples have a lifestyle quite different than that of any other culture, as living on an island requires a level of flexible adaptability in order to cope with such a different, sometimes difficult environment. We see the way diverse cultures build their lives around their circumstances and how they respect them in their cultural myths and stories. The Polynesian legends emphasize the physical environment that they live in. They are quite different than any other region in the world, but the beauty and individuality of the Polynesian culture is prominent as seen in their mythology.