Even some stories that begin happily have unexpected, sad endings for their characters. Human failings, prophecies, and unexpected coincidences all can lead to tragedy. Although all three authors were from different time periods, they incorporated similar concepts of tradition into their work. Homer birth and death was a major figure of ancient Greek oral composition and the author of the earliest and finest epic poem, the Iliad, which was based on the Trojan War. Sophocles who was born around 496 B.C.E - 406 B.C.E was credited with skillfully developing irony as a literary technique.
In Greek and Roman culture, loyalty and honor are important concepts in one's life that are to be personally and publicly explored. In The Iliad by Homer and The Aeneid, written by Virgil, these ideas are presented through the views of two epic heroes and their roles surrounding the Trojan war during its final year. The Iliad is an epic poem originally intended to be heard by audiences as opposed to being read. Translated and put into written form, it is today regarded as being one of the most important primary Greek epics of its time during the eight century BC. The Aeneid, however, holds its roots within the Roman culture of around 20 BC, and is considered a secondary epic.
It seems that Virgil is inviting the reader to recourse back to Homer in order to highlight the contrast between Aeneas and Homeric heroes like Thetis in the Illiad. This analogy makes the reader aware of the distinctive nature of Aeneas as an epic hero when compared to those of the Greek era, and during books one to four, Virgil seems keen to portray how prone
Repetition in the Aeneid Ancient Rome was highly dependent on repetition; a repetition of Greek Architecture, repetition of the Olympian Gods, and even a repetition of Greek Literature. This is not to say that Roman culture was a cheap knock-off of the Greece, for Romans strived to not only match Greece’s rich culture but to rise above it. Virgil’s The Aeneid is a fine example of the manner in which Romans aimed to glorify Rome by imitating Greece. The theme of repetition is crucial to Virgil’s poem, particularly in Book VI, where history, myths, and tales reoccur or foretell an occurrence. Near the beginning of Book VI, we enter a temple dedicated to Apollo, and upon entering, our narrator reiterates the history that gave rise to this temple.
Instead of following the criteria of an epic poem, which was typically based on one central storyline, Ovid’s poem involves many stories. In some form or fashion, each of these stories seems to lead toward the same essential value of metamorphoses in the end. Instead of basing an epic poem on the account of one set of characters, Ovid decided to deviate from the traditional form and provide the same central idea from various stories and perspectives. Ovid’s poem is a clear representation that he invested a great deal in the importance of storytelling in his works. There are many Greek cultural ideas and values embedded into this poem including: metamorphoses
Virgil(Publius Vergilius Maro) wrote the Aeneid between 1-0 BCE in Rome, what is believed to be northern Italy or Greece. The main purpose of this epic poem was to act as a propaganda for the Roman Empire and to show the divinity of the lineage of Octavius(Augustus) who was supposedly Virgil’s contemporary. The Aeneid owes a lot of its content to the Odyssey and shows many differences as well, mainly because of the different motivations of both characters. Aeneas is the subject of Virgil’s epic The Aeneid. Dr. Gwilym Jones divides Virgil’s work into what he calls the Odysseic and Iliadic halves.
Anadiplosis (catch repetition, "doubling") - the repetition of the initial, middle or final word or word-group in a sentence or clause at the beginning of the next with the adjunct idea. "But Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honorable man..." (W. Shakespeare) 5. Anaphora ("carrying back") - the repetition of the first word or a word-group in several successive sentences, clauses or phrases. "How many days will finish up the year, How many years a mortal man may live." (W. Shakespeare) 6.
However, both feature separate techniques to provoke reactions from their audiences. While Owen uses an ironic title and dark tone to shock his readers, Jim Bauer, uses nonsensical syllables and a hostile second-person perspective to achieve this same reaction. Perhaps one of the most important factors in comprehending both poem and song is the meaning of the line, “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori”. From a collection of Latin poems by Horace, written almost 2000 years ago, the phrase is translated as: it is sweet and becoming to die for your country. This was the philosophy of many during the time of the First World War.
Every single person on this earth has a clear idea about war and some of us already have a personal experience with the tragedies and suffering of war In this simple thesis we will talk about war poetry and its major poet, Wilfred Owen. The first part of these papers is concerned with war poetry in genera, it begins with a historical background of war poetry traced back to the time of Homer. Followed by the major characteristics of this school of poetry which has no standard criteria. After that, we shed light on the major poets of this school: Siegfried Sassoon , Rupert Chawner Brooke, and Isaac Rosenberg. The Second part is concerned with the great war poet, Wilfred Owen.
Common Ground and Opposing Methods: Examining William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18” and John Donne’s “Death Not Be Proud” Shakespeare’s "Sonnet 18" and Donne’s "Death Not Be Proud" are two very different tales, despite being bound by ties of genre. Donne’s narrative is a direct rebuke of both death itself and mankind’s inherent views of mortality whereas Shakespeare’s poem is a lively celebration of the beauty of his companion. These two literary works may appear to be miles apart based solely on subject matter however, beyond the obvious, they share certain similarities and both address certain issues while employing differing approaches. While both Shakespeare and Donne both address immortality in their poems and employ literary devices such as metaphors and apostrophe, they often do so in varying contexts or to achieve different objectives. To truly understand how these poems are both similar and different, we must examine both sonnets, specifically their structures as well as the authors’ use of several literary devices.