By Julia BarrusWorld Literature

Periods 5,7,8

Boticcelli’s painting, “The Birth of Venus” references the mythological goddess Venus or Aphrodite. She appears over a clam shell because she was said to have risen from the depths of the ocean. The winds Boreas and Zephyr are identified by their puffed cheeks blowing wind down on her.

Ajax was a warrior during the Trojan War. He played a staring role in Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad. This bottle of dish soap is named for him probably because it’s strong like he was.

This Flowers Today logo incorporates Hermes because he was the messenger god and here he is seen delivering flowers.

You thought the leaden winter would bring you down forever,But you rode upon a steamer to the violence of the sun.

And the colors of the sea blind your eyes with trembling mermaids,And you touch the distant beaches with tales of brave Ulysses:How his naked ears were tortured by the sirens sweetly singing,For the sparkling waves are calling you to kiss their white laced lips.And you see a girls brown body dancing through the turquoise,And her footprints make you follow where the sky loves the sea.And when your fingers find her, she drowns you in her body,Carving deep blue ripples in the tissues of your mind.

The tiny purple fishes run laughing through your fingers,And you want to take her with you to the hard land of the winter.

Her name is Aphrodite and she rides a crimson shell,And you know you cannot leave her for you touched the distant sandsWith tales of brave Ulysses; how his naked ears were torturedBy the sirens sweetly singing.

The tiny purple fishes run laughing through your fingers,And you want to take her with you to the hard land of the winter.

By Eric Clapton and Martin Sharp

This song discusses Odysseus (Latin Ulysses), Aphrodite, the Sirens etc. It references Homer’s Odyssey, but also the bravery of its hero.

The imagery and wording also references Boticcelli’s The Birth of Venus when it discusses a “crimson shell,” making it an allusion within an allusion.

We know that Europe is named for Europa who was kidnapped by Zeus when he was in disguise as a white bull.

The Aurora Borealis is named for the Roman goddess Aurora of the dawn, and the Greek name for the north wind Boreas.

Europa (mythology). Wikipedia.org. Web. 29 Sept. 2009

Tales of Brave Ulysses. Lyricsfreak.com. Web. 29 Sept. 2009

Ajax. Googleimages.com. Web. 29 Sept. 2009

Aurora (astronomy). Wikipedia.org. Web. 29 Sept. 2009

The Birth of Venus. Wikipedia. Org. Web. 29 Sept. 2009