The Greek god of love, Eros, is seen in varying perspectives. To some, he is a powerful force that takes a leadership role in life. He is mighty and unwavering. To others, he is a servant of the people. One such concept of servitude is portrayed in the poem “Eros,” written by Anne Stevenson. Through the use of rhyme, alliteration, and other literary devices, Stevenson produces the reader with a clear image of a beaten god. Because of this, “Eros” can easily be approached with the formal critical strategy. The Rhyme scheme in the poem adds to the characterization of Eros. Stevenson’s pattern, however consistent, seems off and out of place. By rhyming line two to four and line six to eight in every stanza, Stevenson brings Eros to life in …show more content…
Alliteration is used to stress the importance of love. “Stevenson’s exercise of word craft [is] devoted to emphasizing her characters and ideas” (White 382). Her continual use of words beginning with ‘b’ does just this. They describe the brute Eros with Stevenson’s “instinct for the click of words against each other” (White 382). The poem has alliteration in both the opening and closing stanzas. Eros is seen as a “bully boy,” “battered,” and “bruised” (5-22). These phrases describe a beaten and broken god who would rather personally feel the pangs of love than not have love exist. This illustrates Stevenson’s portrayal of Eros, giving him “insight, wisdom, and strength” (Mills 2753). The alliteration of this poem helps give life to the author’s view of the god. The structure of the poem “Eros” helps to characterize the god. The poem is divided into three clear stanzas, each with eight lines. The lines are short, often with just three or four words apiece. The opening two lines question the character that has appeared before the speaker. “I call for love / But help me, who arrives?” (1-2). This introduces Eros to the reader. By starting with an introduction, “Stevenson allows the following scene to unfold with perfect clarity” (Donnelly …show more content…
Stevenson is very descriptive in her poem. Her use of imagery transfers scenes and characters from the poet’s imagination directly to the readers’. However, “she does not show off nor try to gain attention by shock tactics” by over describing the violence and pain displayed upon Eros (Donnelly 379). She simply illustrates her view of the god. He is a “thug with [a] broken nose” and “squinty eyes” (3-4). This causes the readers to view Eros as a “strong god who has been forced to change throughout time” (DiYanni 497). He has been trampled and wronged. However, “this pain only produces a stronger desire for Eros to survive” (Mills 2754). Such violent imagery, employed by Stevenson, truly creates the persona of
In Bridges’ poem “EPΩ∑”, more formal language is used to shine Eros in a more of a “god-like” light. The rhyme scheme of the poem is “AABB”, which is a traditional style, and matches with Bridges’ “traditional” depiction of a god. He praises Eros, calling him the “idol of the human race” and a “tyrant of the human heart.” The use of the word “tyrant” deviates from its normal context. It’s
The alliteration used is to emphasize rhythm in the poem. On the other hand, the poet also depicts a certain rhyme scheme across each stanza. For example, the first stanza has a rhyme scheme of this manner a, b, c, d, e, a. With this, the rhyme scheme depicted is an irregular manner. Hence, the poem does not have a regular rhythm. Moreover, the poet uses a specific deign of consonance, which is present in the poem (Ahmed & Ayesha, p. 11). The poet also uses the assonance style depicted in the seventh stanza, “Seven whole days I have not seen my beloved.” The letter ‘o’ has been repeated to create rhythm and to show despair in the poem. On the second last line of the seventh stanza, the poet uses the style of consonance, “If I hug her, she’ll drive illness from me. By this, the letter ‘l’ is repeated across the line. The poet’s aim of using this style of Consonance is to establish rhythm in the poem and add aural
First of alll, the poem is divided into nine stanzas, where each one has four lines. In addition to that, one can spot a few enjambements for instance (l.9-10). This stylistic device has the function to support the flow of the poem. Furthermore, it is crucial to take a look at the choice of words, when analysing the language.
In the poems, “EΡΩΣ” by Robert Bridges and “Eros” by Anne Stevenson both have similar yet distinct concepts of the God of love. “EΡΩΣ” describes the concept of love as being conflicted between humans view of Eros as the god of love and lust; where as Stevenson’s poem describes Eros as being bruised and beat up as a result of this constant misunderstanding by humanity. Thus, both poems are similar with their description of Eros’ constant struggles with human nature.
There is no perfect character. Even the strongest character who seems invincible have a flaw. Whether it be a minor flaw or a major flaw. Sometimes, that flaw alone is can contribute towards a happy ending, or in other cases, it can lead to the character’s sorrow. Major character flaws are often seen in tragedies. In “Theseus’s Habitual Letter Entries” is my creative work directly inspired by Theseus by Edith Hamilton. It summarizes Theseus in a satirical way. Instead of illustrating the story from a third person point of view, it takes on a first person point of view by having the story formatted as a diary. The story includes what Theseus is thinking throughout his journey. And his thoughts follow a more contemporary language. This work reveals
Of all the heroic traits such as honor and glory, given to the reader through Homer’s epic poems loyalty seems to be the strongest, as with Patroclus in the Iliad, so it is with Penelope, Telemachus, and Eumaeus in the Odyssey. Through the use of these characters loyalty is demonstrated to Odysseus, the hero if the poem. Their undying loyalty and devotion to the warring hero gives perfect examples of how humans should act to those they claim to be faithful too.
In classical Greek literature the subject of love is commonly a prominent theme. However, throughout these varied texts the subject of Love becomes a multi-faceted being. From this common occurrence in literature we can assume that this subject had a large impact on day-to-day life. One text that explores the many faces of love in everyday life is Plato’s Symposium. In this text we hear a number of views on the subject of love and what the true nature of love is. This essay will focus on a speech by Pausanius. Pausanius’s speech concentrates on the goddess Aphrodite. In particular he looks at her two forms, as a promoter of “Celestial Love” as well as “Common Love.” This idea of “Common Love” can be seen in a real life context in the tragedy “Hippolytus” by Euripides. This brings the philosophical views made by Pausanius into a real-life context.
To better a story or emphasize a point, authors sometimes use allusions that involve references to myths or classical texts. Allusion is an imperative part of understanding literature because they give us an unfathomable understanding of an author 's message. An author can carefully draw upon allusions to give a story, poem, or other works of literature from more meaning or to provide clues about the author 's message. The most familiar are Greek and Roman myths. The Greeks and Romans had an abundance of gods and goddesses in common, but the Roman name often differed from the Greek name. Gods and goddesses are often alluded to in other pieces of literature. Writers sometimes condense big ideas or intricate emotional issues by referring to a
These poems represent the idea of allusion by symbolizing the need for poetry. For example in sentence 9 of Introduction to Poetry he uses allusion to demonstrate there is a dream or accomplishment he wants to do with "his students". In sentences 16-19 of Trouble with poetry, he also uses allusion because it looks like he has an idea in mind and has plans set ahead.
The use of alliteration, tone, mood, theme and other elements that construct a well balanced poem are in this piece of literature.
Love, in classical Greek literature, is commonly considered as a prominent theme. Love, in present days, always appears in the categories of books, movies or music, etc. Interpreted differently by different people, Love turns into a multi-faceted being.
In the 1930s, who would have perpetrated violent acts against women in the name of sexual gratification yet still hold expectations that women take care of them? By making men in general the placeholder for “you” in the poem, it creates a much stronger and universal statement about the sexual inequality women face. She relates to women who have had “a god for [a] guest” yet it seems ironic because she is criticising the way these women have been treated (10). It could be argued, instead, that it is not that she sees men as gods, but that it is the way they see themselves. Zeus was a god who ruled Olympus and felt entitled to any woman he wanted, immortal or otherwise.
“I was obliged to memorize the wanderings of a hero named Aeneas, while in the meantime I failed to remember my own erratic ways. I learned to lament the death of Dido, who killed herself for love, while all the time, in the midst of these things, I was dying, separated from you, my God and my Life.
The first literary device that can be found throughout the poem is couplet, which is when two lines in a stanza rhyme successfully. For instance, lines 1-2 state, “At midnight, in the month of June / I stand beneath the mystic moon.” This is evidence that couplet is being used as both June and moon rhyme, which can suggest that these details are important, thus leading the reader to become aware of the speaker’s thoughts and actions. Another example of this device can be found in lines 16-17, “All Beauty sleeps!—and lo! where lies / (Her casement open to the skies).” These lines not only successfully rhyme, but they also describe a woman who
In conclusion, the “Odyssey” is one of the greatest literary works ever known and this literary analysis should help the reader to understand the important components of the novel such as theme, characters, relationships, symbols, motifs, literary devices, and tone.