Language Analysis of Beowulf and Iliad: Beowulf is one of the oldest and important existing poems in the English language. ... It has been declared an ageless epic poem, because it continuously and clearly possesses various characteristics of an epic throughout this narrative. ... One very crucial characteristic of an epic is its hero. ... Beowulf perfectly exemplifies this characteristic of an epic hero. ... One characteristic that serves as a very important foundation for an epic poem is incorporating universal themes, such as goodness versus evil (good superhuman hero versus the wild s...

• Word Count: 811
• Approx Pages: 3

Homer, who was a blind bard, which is a minstrel who recited long poems about heroes of archaic time periods. In his epic, The Odyssey, he presents an epic hero that displays the qualities that are valued by the society from which he comes. Homer's hero, Odysseus, is often referred to throughout the epic, as "Laertes's son", and "raider of cities". ... It seems obvious that Homer's society must have insisted that their heroes have emotion as a characteristic. ... In Homer's Epic, The Odyssey, it's main character Odysseus set the highest standards of an epic hero....

• Word Count: 1140
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

Metaphors provide a distinct characteristic as in line 30 describing terror as "darkness had dropped." ... In order to fight a supernatural being, one must have a superhuman power which brings us to another characteristic of epic poetry. ... In a heroic epic poem, the most important element must as always and sometimes is the hero himself or herself. To be classified as a hero, one of the most important characteristic that must be included is devotion to duty and have a worth cause. ... Having all the elements mentioned, Beowulf holds true to it's title as a heroic ep...

• Word Count: 548
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

During the rule of the first Roman Emperor, Augustus, a man by the name of Publius Vergilius Maro (known as Virgil in English) wrote one of the most widely read epic poems. ... Parallels can be seen in the shield descriptions of the two classic epic poems. ... This makes Aeneid characteristically Virgilian. ... Therefore, the shield seems to be addressing the present state of the epic poem. ... By analyzing the shield scenes of the two epic poems, the Iliad and the Aeneid, many similarities as well as differences can be distinguished. ...

• Word Count: 806
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

Homer's epic poem The Odyssey was written after his Iliad which told the tales of the Trojan War. ... Incorporated into The Odyssey are many current-day characteristics of man including a constant dependence on others, the presence of a greater vision, or lack there of, and the essence of a sensitive side behind courage and pride. ... Athena reassured Odysseus throughout the epic poem saying "I am a god and will protect you to the end, through all your toils" (196). ...

• Word Count: 396
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

Homer's epic poem The Odyssey was written after his Iliad which told the tales of the Trojan War. ... Incorporated into The Odyssey are many current-day characteristics of man including a constant dependence on others, the presence of a greater vision, or lack there of, and the essence of a sensitive side behind courage and pride. ... Athena reassured Odysseus throughout the epic poem saying "I am a god and will protect you to the end, through all your toils" (196). ...

• Word Count: 396
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

It's true that Aeneas' wanderings in the beginning of the poem are reminiscent of the same perils that Odysseus faced on his journey home to Ithaca, such as Aeneas' encounter with the Harpies (3:245) and the Cyclopes (3:760). ... At first all of these similarities may appear to be a poorly veiled appropriation of Homer's epics, but that is far from the actual purpose of Virgil's epic. ... However, as Anchises describes "the glory that awaits the Trojan race," (6:896) it becomes clear that this poem is anything but a piracy of Homer's epic. ... A charact...

• Word Count: 707
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The Greeks in consider Homer's two epics as the highest cultural achievement of their people, the defining moment in Greek culture, which set the basic Greek character in stone. ... One of the characteristics of a good story, now as then, is that the audience must be captivated. ... He composed the Odyssey and the Iliad in long lines of six beats each called Dactylic Hexameter, which the ancients thought suited the formality of epic poetry. ... In oral-formulaic traditions, generations of poet performers develop a special poetic language that consists of a number of musical phrases and...

• Word Count: 552
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

Throughout Homer's epic, the Odyssey, Poseidon is often characterized as a destructive and cruel deity. ... Early in the poem, Telémakhos demonstrates this axiom by responding to Athena's questioning about his father, "My mother says I am his son; I know not surely. ... More specifically, throughout the poem, sons' identifiable character traits are frequently portrayed as being derivative of the more general tendencies of the father. For example, throughout the poem, Odysseus is described as "the strategist- (p.87), "the great tactician- (p.280) and "that wily man- (p.337...

• Word Count: 1071
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

" During Homer's epic poem, Odysseus and Telemachus demonstrate courage when faced with a multitude of antagonists, such as Cyclops, and the suitors. ... Furthermore, they possess noble characteristics. ... Despite their moments of weakness, Odysseus and Telemachus both demonstrate parallel heroism through their acts of courage, noble characteristics and outstanding achievements during their respective journeys. ... Despite their moments of weakness and in part because of the involvement of the gods, Odysseus and Telemachus will rebound from weakness to satisfy the requisite charac...

• Word Count: 1193
• Approx Pages: 5