Gorgythion The Iliad Analysis

A field of red poppies in the spring is a beautiful scene, especially after a storm, as the dark clouds move out making way for blue sky. Seeing the wall of rain slowly come and go creates an eerie aura, as the cover of clouds filter the sun into twilight over the fields. This process is necessary for the poppies to receive the water needed for full completion of their cycle. Something often seen as harsh leads to the overall health of the flower, too much rain, however, could lead to the entire field of poppies being drowned out. The right amount of rain, sun, and nutrients all combine to create a beautiful appearance.
Beginning on line 306 in Book 8 of Richard Lattimore’s translation of The Iliad, Homer says that Gorgythion, after being impaled …show more content…
He was propped in a position causing his head to lean over, giving him the appearance of a poppy drooping after an excess of rain. The brutality of this is enhanced by the deep red in poppies, signifying that Gorgythion was covered in blood. The mental picture inscribed by this simile is one that greatly enhances the experience for a reader of The Iliad. However, possibly the most important comparison made is not one that questions the physical appearance of Gorgythion. The simile questions what his death says about life and what role death plays throughout The Iliad. An initial reaction to seeing this comparison made is one of shock. The idea that a drooping poppy is comparable to the death of a human being seems to be inappropriate. Even a comparison of a human to a dead poppy would seem to imply that human life and flowers have a similar worth. It can not be said that everyone believes humans have an inherent worth greater than flowers, however it is obvious that humans and flowers are vastly different in the fact that we can think and have emotion. This relates to death as humans can feel sorrow after the death of another, but poppies can …show more content…
The process of clouds and darkness taking over a field is comparable to an army moving in and war taking over the lives of those involved. The falling of rain that causes the poppies to droop signifies the death as the battle goes on, and the evaporating of the rain as the sun starts to seep through the clouds signifies peace as the battle and incurring violence end. This process starts to beg the question, is life itself part of death, or is death a stand-alone occurrence that is not part of the process of life? Within the context of the quote about poppies, it would appear that life and death are intrinsically connected. While forms of life can lead to a more imminent death, such as the life of a soldier, this is not the only connection made between life and death in the simile. Homer reminds us that death is an inevitable part of life and that rather than fear death, humans should view it as a part of life itself, and that all will not end because of death. This view would also be beneficial to an army, as it could inspire soldiers to be brave even with the looming possibility of their demise. Death, while it may be an end to our own personal conciseness, does not imply that the outside world will also cease to go on. Just as rain falling on a poppy causes it to droop, the water will evaporate and the field of poppies will once again be