Known for the manipulation of literary devices to create two wholly different meanings of her poetry, Margaret Atwood expects her readers to discover both figurative and literal translations. She uses allusions and metonymy in her popular poem “Orpheus” to encourage her readers to draw meaning from their own personal interests. If one’s area of expertise is Greek mythology, the reference to Orpheus is prevalent; however, if one is enthusiastic about revolutionary history, then he may perceive this poem as a tribute to martyrs in history. Though interpretations may differ, the main theme of the poem is self-sacrifice for love of another or perhaps an entire population.
While Atwood creates allusions to Greek mythology in several of her poems, her use of this device is rather unique in “Orpheus,” for the lucent evidence only appears in the title. The poet never mentions the name Orpheus directly within the poem; rather, she employs a third-person point of view and refers to the subject of the work as he: “Whether he will go on singing / or not, knowing what he knows / of the horror of this world…” (1-3). A reader not previously familiar with mythology who may overlook the title would find difficulty deciphering this literary piece in connection to Orpheus; however, by paying attention to the title, one can relate literally every line to the mythological figure.. In the actual myth, Orpheus is an extraordinary singer whose voice is unsurpassed by any mortal or god. He loses his wife Eurydice because of a serpent bite, after only a few days into their marriage. Devastated by his loss, he travels to the underworld in order to sing to Hades and ask for the return of his wife. The speaker describes hell in the following: “He was not w...
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...nt for which he sacrifices his life tends to gain drive and force.
In reference to the subtlety of language, Robert Frost once said, “Poetry is what gets lost in translation.” Without the allusion to Greek mythology and use of metonymy, the poem may diminish any sympathy the reader feels for Orpheus. Additionally, the literary devices contribute a sense of mystery that captivates the reader, especially regarding the description of the Underworld, a place one thinks about and reads about but cannot witness before death. On the contrary, the inclusion of these devises may raise awareness for the reader in regard to passionate leaders within his own society. Therefore, one must read between the lines of Margaret Atwood’s poetry in order to discover her true intentions.
Works Cited
Atwood, Margaret. Selected Poems II: 1976 - 1986. Vol. 2. Mariner Books, 1987. Print.
For example, Corrigan said, “Sometimes he claimed the scar along his thigh indicated he was actually the biblical figure of Jacob. Jacob, the brother of Esau? Jacob, who wrestled God’s angel and lived” (80). Corrigan, in this excerpt from the novel, alluded to the bible story in Genesis. One who knows the story of Jacob and Esau would be able to make connections between those from that story and the characters in the book. This biblical allusion caused some readers to be able to make deeper connections in the novel but yet does not hinder the understanding of someone who does not recognize the reference. Corrigan also wrote, “You so easily remember the times I was Eurydice, when the ward’s locked door slid closed between us. Do not forget I also have been Orpheus, on my knees in the boat, asking all the devils for your face in the trees” (100). This allusion to Greek mythology aided the reader in understanding one of Corrigan’s central themes in her novel. In the story Orpheus was a poet who was able to entrance enemies with his singing and lyre playing. After his wife, Eurydice, was killed, he traveled to the underworld to rescue her. Corrigan writes that she and Danny took turns being both Eurydice and Orpheus in that one was doing the rescuing and one was being rescued. They were there for each other through their troubles and
Furthermore, Ovid illustrates fate as a concept that not only supports the powers of the Gods, but also challenges it. The readers view many cases in which mortals suffer horrible fates due to the passion of the Gods. Thus, they pray to the Gods to escape or go opposite of their already destined fates quite similar to how Frodo did when he was given the opportunity to destroy the One Ring (the “Mount Doom” scene in the film), but could not. This sort of opposition to fate due to uncontrollable forces can be seen with the mythological roles of Hercules, as well as Orpheus in the sense of how either one of them are recognized for their accomplishments and success.
Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus can be argued that it is related loosely to Rita Dove's The Darker Face of the Earth. This comparative and contrasting characteristics that can be seen within both plays make the reader/audience more aware of imagery, the major characters, plot, attitudes towards women, and themes that are presented from two very different standpoints. The authors Sophocles and Dove both have a specific goal in mind when writing the two plays. In this paper I will take a closer look of the two, comparing and contrasting the plays with the various elements mentioned previously.
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.
In Oedipus Rex by Sophocles and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, there is a deception where readers think one thing, but are presented with a different point of view. They are profoundly similar for various reasons regarding structure and theme. They are complementary in establishing the primary conflict of drama during the storyline; however, Oedipus Rex encompasses foreshadowing that divulges drama from past experiences. Additionally, the authors incorporate violence as a key component in the conflict presented. However, the drama differs in plot, as well as symbolism, in which the reader understands it before or amid the story through gradual discovery. The themes and presentation of these dramatic plots are initially compelling, distinctive,
The depiction of the Greek and roman myths are given unique insights from different authors. The Hymn to Demeter and Ovid's Metamorphosis provide and insight to Demeter's love for her daughter, Persephone, and explores its affect on the surrounding environments. The theme of separation and isolation is present in both of these myths, however, in Ovid's Metamorphosis, he symbolizes the environment in important events, has characters playing different roles, and empowers female deities.
In Jean Cocteau's Orpheus, death is personified through the character of the Princess. The Princess is an extremely powerful figure, although she ultimately succumbs to the power of love. Cocteau uses her actions, clothing, and dialogue to show her as a contradictory mix of being both very powerful, yet still very vulnerable to the power of love.
In Euripides Greek tragedy, Medea, it is the civilised values of Greek culture, which govern all facets of Corinthian life, yet Medea’s triumph is not a celebration of such values, but a mockery of them. While on the surface, Medea’s triumph appears an act of personal revenge out of pure passion, the implications of her actions extend far beyond one individual to encompass an entire civilisation. In committing “vile” acts of infanticide, Medea not only absolves herself from the one- dimensional role of women in a patriarchal society, but also transcends the social orders of that society. Moreover, it also serves as a warning to sacrificing all reasoning and rationality, and allowing
In Ithaca, the depth of Joyce's irony is displayed. The denouement of this odyssey is perfect for this story, while at the same time leaving us with the exact opposite of the resolution in the tale the book proclaims to emulate. Odysseus' public apotheosis parallels Bloom's private shame. The concise question and answer format which Ithaca adopts, found no where else in the book, is refereed to by many critics as reminiscent of a catechism. The description is well deserved given the overt religious themes in Ulysses. The almost mathematical precision of the text in juxtaposed with gut wrenching emotion surrounding infidelity. The parallels that one can draw between the characters of Ulysses and the Odyssey are perhaps the deepest in Ithaca while the themes and undertones of the work drift further apart.
As such, Odysseus’ journey to Hades sheds light upon the differing views of life from those who were subjected to the savagery of war and those not. When speaking with a variety of deceased individuals, Odysseus is told numerous stories of regret, accounts of death which could only be understood by one on the battlefield. Odysseus does not initially wish to speak with his mother, though he eventually recalls, “I stayed where I was until my mother / came up and drank the dark blood” (11.150-151). The interpreted symbolism behind this act is almost paradoxical, while representing the underlying theme of a different perception of mortality. Perhaps honor in a distinguished, fighting death is merely a cover for the unbearable consequences of
Mary Wroth alludes to mythology in her sonnet “In This Strange Labyrinth” to describe a woman’s confused struggle with love. The speaker of the poem is a woman stuck in a labyrinth, alluding to the original myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. The suggestion that love is not perfect and in fact painful was a revolutionary thing for a woman to write about in the Renaissance. Wroth uses the poem’s title and its relation to the myth, symbolism and poem structure to communicate her message about the tortures of love.
The Greek playwright, Euripides, is considered one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens. His individuality is attributed to the way he “pushes to the limits of what an audience can stand” . His masterpiece Medea , a fascinating classic centered on the Greek goddess Medea, is a prime example of this. During his time, Euripides was unpopular since he defied the commons themes of tragedies during the 430s B.C.E.; he instead introduced a nihilistic and disturbing tragedy focused on women, slaves and persons from the lower class. His mastery shines through as he guides the audience to sympathize with Medea even when she commits filicide, a seemingly horrendous act. He utilizes the Chorus, the Nurse, and the Children-which are all minor characters-to induce compassion for Medea, establish the development of her emotional state, and ascertain the importance of her pride. Although these characters guide the audience towards similar concepts, they represent a contradiction when it comes to the slaughter of the Children.
In the Greek myth, Orpheus has to travel through the five rivers of Hades (Phlegethon, Acheron, Lethe, Styx, and Cocytus) to retrieve Eurydice from the overseer of the underworld, Hades. In Black Orpheus, Orpheus does not travel through the actual rivers, but in my opinion, symbolic representations of them. The obstacles that Orpheus faces while trying to find Eurydice, could possibly be the representation of the rivers.
Death in “Ozymandias” is both an ancient and physical one, and a metaphorical one. In “Darkness,” death is brutal, agonizing, violent, and touching. In “Darkness,” Byron writes, “All the earth was but one thought – and that was death,” (Byron, Line 42). In this poem, everything dies, beginning with the sun and ending with the moon. Death is achieved through killing when the humans kill the animals for food, and through dying, which happens when the humans fail to stay warm. In “Ozymandias,” Shelley uses the crumbling statue of an Egyptian king as a metaphor for the shortness of life. The poem also points out the death of the king’s ego by directly contrasting the king’s command to “Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!” with the fact that his statue and his works have crumbled into the desert sands (Shelley, Line 11). Although it is not a death (because the statue was never living), it is important to note how Shelley describes the statue as “lifeless” and that what survives of it is not a symbol of Ozymandias’s great power, but a more negative portrayal of him thorough his “frown / [a]nd wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command” and that it is the talent and artistic power of the sculptor which lives on (Shelley, Lines 4-5). In short, in the poems, “Darkness” and “Ozymandias,” the overarching theme of destruction is further emphasized by the use of different ideas about different
Sophocles’ tragic play, “Oedipus the King”, or “Oedipus Rex” as it’s known by its Latin name, is the Athenian drama that revolves around the events which lead to the demise of Oedipus Rex. The King Oedipus is forced down a preordained path that throws his entire world into a spiral of tragic providence, in this trilogy of a Theban play. Sophocles assigns the tragic hero to a downfall with the impossibility of changing the written fate; perhaps the views of today’s society would feel sympathy for the predicament that Oedipus is forced into, however, the publics of ancient Greece would accept that the path laid before them was a creation of the Gods. “Oedipus the King” reflects the ancient Greek credence in the belief that a person can do nothing to avoid their destiny, an idea that contrasts with what society believes today.