In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus is a celebrated king and hero who is tragically lost at sea for 20 years, tirelessly defeating every obstacle him and his crew stumble upon in attempt to get back home to his wife and son in his kingdom of Ithaca. Although Odysseus faces many temptations along his journey, he doesn’t stray from his goal to return home, by always keeping his family in mind. Despite being written centuries ago, this novel holds strong connections to modern day, and our education…
The first two books of The Divine Comedy, Inferno and Purgatory, by Dante follow Dante as he journeys from hell to purgatory. In Inferno, Dante meets the poet Virgil who guides him through the rings of hell. Once the two reach the bottom of hell, Virgil continues to guide Dante through the next realm in Purgatory. Throughout this epic adventure, Dante not only provides an entertaining story, but also presents numerous ideas concerning the afterlife. These ideas range from simple descriptions of…
EZ Trojan Horse is a mythological tale about the Trojan War regarding a military strategy utilized by the Greeks to breach Troy and ultimate force the island nation into capitulation. After a decade of stalemates and fruitless sieges, the Greeks decide to create a giant wooden horse and give it to the Trojans as a symbol of defeat and a monument for Athena. The horse, conceived of by Odysseus, is built in a mere three days. However, unbeknownst to the Trojans, a skilled force of warriors is…
Virgil’s Aenied tells the tale of the struggle between Troy and the Greek city states as they fought for 10 years to no avail. The conflict eventually ended when the Greek’s had the furtive plan to trick the Trojan’s to accept a gift that led to their downfall. This idea of a Trojan horse has echoed throughout the ages and the stratagem is held to high esteem. Domtar’s advertisement that is featured in the September issue of National Geographic derives their marketing strategy from this very…
In the Aeneid we specifically see Virgil 's own historical context represented by the proof of everlasting turmoil and effects on civilization that the civil wars brought and the peace, justice and order enforced by Emperor Augustus. First body – Virgil was the most well known and recognized poet in Ancient Rome. Virgil was born of peasant stock. He loved the Italian countryside, the people and the culture surrounding it. His poetry reflects his love for the culture. He devoted most of his…
not do anything to deserve this and she was simply just overreacting. Naturally, society expects the girl to get over her ex and move onto another guy; in extreme circumstances, the woman will not move on, but instead kill herself. Welcome to The Aeneid: Book four. Written by Virgil in 19 BC, the twisted love story of Aeneas and Dido might change the minds of men and women in relationships, and make them contemplate if they even want a significant other. In other words, when women do not get…
In the poem, “Ulysses,” author Lord Tennyson writes about the king of Ithaca, Ulysses, who had fought in the Trojan War, and had so deeply enjoyed his many travels that he is bored of ruling over his island home, and once again yearns to explore the world. Tennyson writes this poem in the form of a dramatic monologue, and by using this technique the reader is told details of the main characters life and personality through his speech. This is also accomplished through the way the poem itself is…
Coby Koehler Professor Ned Williams English 251 3 October, 2017 Achenbach’s Guide to the Underworld Hermes, the guide of newly dead souls to the underworld, has long been a prominent figure in mythology and a powerful archetype. In Thomas Mann’s book, “Death in Venice”, the author uses the young boy Tadzio as an archetype of Hermes as expressed through his actions and what he means to Gustav von Aschenbach, as well as how Aschenbach sees him. Tadzio effectively leads Gustav from his life at…
The story of the great artists of literature is glorified by history tells their tale. Homer is such one great poet. He is the author of the epic-tale of the Greek-Troy war entitled the Iliad. Homer immortalized it and its epic heroes .In this essay, I will examine the similes, that immortalize Homer as a poet, consider the canonization of his work, and end up offering a short poem as an example of how a literary work can become canonical. Homer’s similes characterized that they are long,…
In 1780, eight years before the ratification of the constitution, Abigail Adams wrote a letter to her son John Quincy Adams who was travelling abroad with his father, John Adams, a U.S. diplomat at the time and later the country’s second president. In an effort to advise her son of his travels, Adams employs a concerned, maternal tone, vivid illustrations, historical allusions, and lists the importance of knowledge through experience. Throughout her letter, Adams challenges the idea that wisdom…